


Safe Place

by doubtfulbones



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blind Date, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Smut, Gay Keith (Voltron), Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, M/M, Past Abuse, Smut, implied shatt - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-04-06 15:28:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 35,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14059923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doubtfulbones/pseuds/doubtfulbones
Summary: Keith is scared.He thinks every single partner will be just like his last, cruel, controlling, unloving; and he's not thankful for Shiro for setting him up with a blind date in hopes of him finding someone better.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> based on [this post](https://doubtfulbones.tumblr.com/post/172071412548/okay-so-bear-with-me-on-this-college-au-or) !!
> 
> expect some references to violence and past abuse! i aim for this fic not to be as long, but it might be an emotional rollercoaster nonetheless :")
> 
> i haven't made any reference to keith's old partner regarding who he is, so it's up to you to interpret his character!

Keith had finally deleted every single picture, text, and voicemail stored on his phone, albeit with hesitation and the slight hope that maybe, just maybe, his partner would change, would warp his personality to become a better person.

It sank like an anvil in his chest, the guilt festering in his gut and stirring into nausea the more he stared at his almost-empty phone and lack of any communication whatsoever. He was astounded, in fact—since he hadn't been in a relationship before his previous one, he thought his partner was doing everything right.  _Keith_ thought he was doing everything right. He thought that was what love was, restriction, slight control; he saw the control as care and nothing more.

But then came the arm-pulling and the shoving, arguments never seeming to cease even when they went to bed. On multiple occasions, Keith had to walk over to Shiro's apartment in the middle of the night to find solace, and sure enough, it was right there in open arms as he sobbed his throat raw, always returning to his partner's apartment the next day with a dehydration headache.

They'd ask him where he'd been, take money out of his wallet, and drive his car to work, leaving Keith stranded.

He could still remember the smell of his apartment, and it festered like a migraine, fogging his mind and making him both physically and mentally exhausted.

It wasn't until Shiro noticed the bruises over Keith's arms and the black eye he received that he finally took action, despite Keith's awful reasoning. He knew Shiro had told him to find someone new over and over again, but Keith's excuse would always be the same thing:  _"He said sorry, it's okay."_

Over time, Keith learned that his personality had warped into something completely different. Now, without someone taking control of everything he did, he had time to rebuild, for the bruises to fade, and for his mind to be full of new memories.

However, ever since he'd been in an awful, unhealthy relationship, he seemed timid towards anyone who wanted to talk to him, and flinched even when Shiro raised his hand to scratch the back of his neck, often resulting in a quiet _'_ _sorry.'_

Now, he was sat on Shiro's bed dressed in a fluffy robe and a pair of briefs, thinking about how to rebuild both his mental and physical state. He barely had anything to wear, but luckily, Shiro had made emergency journeys to multiple stores when Keith was in need. He was stocked up with everything from painkillers to condoms, but they were never used.

In fact, Keith was sure Shiro had kept more than one first aid kit when situations became a little too much.

"You're going to do fine," Shiro hummed, clutching his mug and yawning wearily. "He's nice, I promise. He's nothing like the guy you were dating, Keith."

"How can you be so sure?" Keith murmured. "He'll see the bruises, Shiro, it's not like I'm desirable anyway."

"You're good at lying, but it's not a good idea," Shiro smiled sympathetically, tilting Keith's head upwards to look at the three deep, almost parallel scars running along his neck, evidence of fingernails raking along his skin, something Keith wanted to forget. "Here, you can say you went to a zoo and held a baby tiger or something."

Keith mustered up a small smile, something he hadn't done in a while. "No, that's ridiculous. Do you not have any makeup?"

His thumb ran along a small wound in his cheekbone, secured with stitches and medical tape. Shiro hummed, examining the evidence of a black eye—luckily, it'd faded slightly over time—while Keith took a sip of his coffee and welcomed the warmth that seared through him, fighting the cold loneliness in his chest.

"I still have makeup from when Matt did theatre," Shiro suggested. "We could maybe match your eyes by applying a little bit of eyeliner or something. Just wear long sleeves, I'm sure you'll be okay."

"Promise?" Keith asked, staring at his contact list, empty apart from his mother, Shiro, and Matt Holt. "It's barely been a few weeks."

"Then you don't have to date the guy straight away," Shiro smiled. "He's much, much better than that shithead. I promise."

Keith took a deep breath, confiding in Shiro, trying his best to rebuild all of that trust he strove to work for. Despite this, he still made a million excuses in his mind  _not_ to go.

"I don't have any money, I don't get paid until next week," he mumbled.

"I'll lend you some."

Keith pouted. "I don't have any nice clothes."

"We'll shop before we go," Shiro shrugged. "You'll look great, you'll feel great, you'll have fun."

Keith sighed again. No matter what excuse he made, Shiro would always counteract and solve it instantly. But somehow, Keith knew this was for the better. It was going to take time, surely, regarding his trust issues and apologetic mindset, rebuilding his physical and mental state was bound to take time.

He still had a tiny plush hippo keyring on his keys for comfort. He'd never leave the house without it.

"Okay." Keith nodded, glaring at his reflection in the last drop of coffee in his mug. "Yeah. Okay."

"I'll get you something to wear."

After a shower and a small pep talk, Keith emerged with a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair dripping and tousled, watching Shiro pull outfits from his closet and drawers in an attempt to make Keith feel more confident. He was lucky Shiro almost had the same fashion sense, and had no problem dressing in a red sweater and a pair of black jeans.

Makeup was next, and Keith had no problem wearing it. He had to apply foundation for work, covering up obvious marks and scratches, but since this was for a better reason, he was even more prepared to reconstruct his confidence. He trusted Shiro with his gentle hands as he grazed brush bristles over bruises and scars, taking extra care around his injured eye.

And when Keith finally looked in the mirror, it was as if he was looking at a completely different person. Even the scars running along his neck had disappeared. The medical tape had been peeled off with care, revealing a tiny scratch, barely noticeable.

"Is that okay?" Shiro asked, ruffling Keith's hair. It'd dried fluffy and tousled, but at least it looked alright. "I've tried my best to cover things up, they're barely noticeable. Do you like what you're wearing, or would you like me to buy something different?"

"No, it's fine," Keith shook his head, grabbing his phone and wincing when Shiro slid dollar bills into his wallet. "Shiro."

"I'm helping you out," Shiro said. "I'll stop when you're financially stable."

"Fine."

During the car journey, Keith's mind refused to rest.

Shiro had told him to walk towards a little café situated outside of the mall, where his apparent 'blind date' was supposed to be sat, and since Shiro had made sure that they left and arrived on time, Keith had no excuse anymore but to turn up. Part of him wanted to. Another part was totally unsure, but all he could do was trust Shiro.

After all, he hadn't been independent for quite some time, and it felt refreshing to be walking in a mall on his own, at his own pace, without anything holding him down.

"I'll just be walking around, so shoot me a message if you want to leave," Shiro said, shoving his car keys into his pocket. "You okay?"

Keith's palms were sweating. "Yes."

"Good luck, relax, have fun," Shiro smiled. "You look fine. He's sat by the window overlooking the fountain outside. You can't miss it."

When Keith walked through the mall, he was irritated by the way he carried himself.

He was a lot quicker than the other shoppers, walking in quick, hurried steps, flinching at simple noises and actions and cursing at himself for doing so. It was something he'd learned to loathe about himself; he wanted a new relationship, and every single touch that came with it—but he didn't want anxiousness of being touched in a way that threatened him.

Keith tried slowing his steps and holding his head high, though his eyes darted from left to right now and again, and he'd tense when someone near him lifted a cellphone to his ear.

He was doing fine. Just fine. He was sure.

Smile. Be confident. Talk slowly. Deep breaths.

And he did so, while taking a left turn and pushing open the door.

The first thing he noticed was how some people lifted their heads to look at the new customer, but Keith ignored that, and instead scanned the room for a boy beside a window, overlooking a fountain outside—

Keith let out a ragged breath as his gaze laid upon a mahogany-haired boy scrolling through his phone wearing a red flannel shirt and a relaxed smile.

Once he sauntered over, he lifted his head, his eyes bright and blue, and gestured for Keith to take the seat opposite, his smile widening still.

"You must be Keith!" he beamed, teeth pearly-white. He held out a hand for Keith to shake, albeit loosely. "I'm Lance!"

Once Keith was sat down, not only was he absorbed with Lance's sapphire eyes, but he couldn't understand how Shiro managed to find a guy so laid-back.

Keith had doubts. He didn't want to share anything just yet.

"I'm willing to pay for everything," Lance began. "Of course, you're always welcome to chip in, but you don't need to."

"It's fine," Keith murmured, placing his phone face-down on the table. Conversations were never his expertise. Luckily, Lance seemed to enjoy talking. "Coffee isn't that expensive, surely."

"I guess so," Lance shrugged. "But this isn't about the coffee, this is about you. I wanna get to know you. Shiro told me fuck all."

Keith swallowed roughly, unsure of where to start.

"Well, first off," Lance laughed, "we're wearing red, did Shiro tell you what I was wearing?"

"No," Keith shook his head, wishing he was better at holding a conversation.

"Coincidence," Lance shrugged. "Are you looking for a long-term relationship?"

Keith almost wanted to say no, in fear of getting hurt again, but he nodded, wanting to trust his gut feeling for once. 

However, as Lance gestured a hand for a barista, Keith flinched. From then on, he focused on trying to forget the past.

"Did I make you jump?" Lance smiled. "Sorry, man."

"You're so casual about this," Keith swallowed thickly, watching his coffee get placed in front of him, complete with a small jug of milk. "How are you not terrified?"

"I am," Lance snorted. "I talk too much."

"I don't mind," Keith shrugged. "At least you're giving us something to talk about."

"Very true," Lance winked. "It got me at the aquarium, so I'm happier about that."

Keith cocked a brow, his interest suddenly piqued. "You work at an aquarium?"

"Sure do," Lance hummed, stirring his coffee with a small spoon. "With the sharks. Everyone else is scared of them, so I like to make sure they look a little more friendly."

Despite not wanting to gain a lover, let alone a friend straight away, Keith found himself wanting to ask questions about everything, from his job, to where he was from, how tall he was, where his apartment was—

"Did you know," Lance grinned, his mug almost empty. "The odds of getting attacked and killed by a shark are almost one in four million? They have bad eyesight, it sucks, but I enjoy being with them."

"I didn't know." Keith nodded, his lip quirking into a small smile. "How long have you been working there?"

"Year and a bit," Lance placed his empty mug on the table and leans back into his chair. "For our next date, I should take you to our stingray nursery."

Keith hadn't even thought about a second date, but the possibility made his heart sing for the first time in months. Suddenly, he was very thankful for Shiro organising it for him.

"I-If you want to go on another date, of course!" Lance sat upright quickly, and Keith tensed at the movement. "We don't have to, I just think you'd be interested and I enjoy your company and—"

He was rambling, unable to take a breath, and this made Keith smile, which felt good. 

"If you want to go to an aquarium and take me with you," Keith looked at his mug, stroking his thumb along the handle. "I won't say no."

"I-Is that a yes, then?" Lance beamed. "Can I give you my number?"

With a little doubt festering in his gut, Keith picked up his phone. He had to text Lance at some point, and hopefully, they won't be overly nasty ones he deleted this morning. If Shiro knew Lance was the right person, he had to trust that decision.

And so, on the way home in Shiro's car, he refused to make eye contact and didn't even attempt to hide the stupid smile stretching his lips for the first time in forever.

"So?" Shiro grinned. "How was it?"

"Good."

"Just good?" 

Keith couldn't get those blue eyes off his mind as he kept checking his phone, finally feeling excited for a text message, rather than dreading one. "Yeah."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is slightly indecisive.

At around eleven o'clock at night, Keith's head was still all over the place, swimming with doubt and  _want_  and love and how gorgeously  _blue_  Lance's eyes were, drowning him gracefully in a warm lagoon of passion, never letting him go.

They'd been texting back and forth for the majority of the evening, and every single time his phone vibrated, Keith's heart would flutter. He was far too ecstatic for just one person, and there was always a small doubt in the back of his mind saying  _what if?_

And then he'd put his phone down and rethink everything.

He went to the date with his marks covered in makeup. He'd hidden his black eye and the scars beneath his jaw. As for the ones under his clothes, that would be an entirely different scenario.

_What if they had sex?_

The thought alone was enough to make Keith's stomach stir, and for Shiro to walk into his room—Shiro used to have a roommate before Keith—with a tired huff and his arms folded, clearly unimpressed.

"You've been up for hours," Shiro yawned, leaning against the door. "Are you talking to Lance?"

Under the harsh light of his phone, Keith nodded, his eyes darting to Shiro's ominous-looking figure in the doorway. He wanted to ask so many questions, depending on how well Shiro knew Lance, still feeling nauseous at the thought of revealing everything to someone he could potentially date.

Lance could always find someone new, right?

Keith held that in the back of his mind as some kind of comfort. He wouldn't have to reveal everything if Lance realised he wanted someone different, which was fine. He hadn't fallen for him yet.  _Yet._

There had to be a reason for his heart fluttering.

"Do you think Lance has other dates? I can't be his only choice," Keith looked up. "He looked too good to be true, I'm surprised he didn't have anyone to begin with."

Shiro shook his head and wandered over to sit on Keith's bed. "I set him up for you, Keith, you were so quiet before you met Lance. You don't have to date him."

Keith had never been so indecisive.

Paranoia was the main thing reeling through his mind, accompanied by the anxiousness of being hurt again. If Shiro knew that Lance was going to be awful, he would never have introduced Keith to him in the first place. Furthermore, the fact that he wanted to take Keith on another date only proved his attraction for him was ever-growing.

"Will it," Keith bit his lip. "Will it happen again?"

"Since I know Lance very well, as well as his friends that he also loves very much," Shiro smiled. "No, Keith, I highly doubt it."

Keith picked up his phone after it vibrated. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Shiro hummed, rubbing Keith's arm comfortingly. "And if he were to lay a hand on you like that other jerk did, I won't hesitate to step in again, alright?"

"Yeah," Keith read the text on-screen and his smile widened instantly. Shiro let out a little laugh.

"What'd he say?"

 **Lance**  ; 12:48am  
 _the offer for the aquarium is still up if you wanted?? i mean you dont have to_

 **Lance** ; 12:50am  
 _i wanna show you my favourite part_

 **Lance**  ; 12:51am  
 _the gift shop_

"Nothing," Keith snorted, his thumbs quickly tapping out a response. Shiro didn't look convinced, but at least Keith was happy.

"But again, if you're that worried," Shiro tapped his fingers against his knee. "I'm a phone call away."

Despite being in a relationship before, Keith never knew there were so many opportunities to do things with someone he liked. Even though he was slowly rebuilding his confidence and financial stability, and waiting for deep bruises to fade, he was almost sure that Lance could potentially be the first person to be truly enthusiastic about spending time with him.

He'd realised it over and over again. Getting hit, grabbed and yelled at was something Keith thought was protective love, that he was doing it for his own safety, but it was completely the contrary.

And suddenly, he felt as if he was starting all over again, and adoring the flutters his heart gave whenever Lance's name appeared on screen.

"Shiro?"

"Mm?"

"What if I have to take my clothes off?"

As Shiro's eyes widened in disbelief, Keith remembered the previous times he'd attempted to get intimate, and it was always ruined by his previous partner being too busy; it wasn't like Keith received anything, anyway. He'd given oral twice, and even then he felt pressured to do so.

"You can wait for the bruises to fade if you're self-conscious," Shiro suggested. "But Lance is a lot more trusting than you think. Nobody is asking you to get naked straight away."

Not only that, but Keith got nightmares, often jolting him out of his slumbers in cold sweats and sobbing until his throat felt sore.

He didn't want to explain it to Lance just yet. He'd tell him one day, but not now.

If Lance wanted him romantically anyway.

"Nobody is asking you to date him in the first place," Shiro shrugged. "Do you want to?"

"Maybe?" Keith huffed.

"Maybe?"

"No?" Keith whimpered. "I don't know, he deserves, he deserves someone better—"

"Don't beat yourself up, it's one in the morning," Shiro laughed tiredly. "I wouldn't set a date up with him if I knew he was an asshole."

After that, Shiro walked back to his bedroom, and Keith bid a short goodbye to Lance, before he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. This time, his mind didn't welcome empty loneliness, and instead he laid there, thinking about how his life could potentially turn around for the better.

The next morning, he woke up to the sound of a familiar voice, and for a short while, his heart hammered as if he'd heard Lance.

But once he'd stepped out of his bedroom with his hair looking like a birds nest, clutching his phone in one hand, he was met with Matt Holt and his sister on Shiro's couch, sipping from steaming mugs and curled up comfortably.

Keith had always adored Matt and Shiro's relationship, mainly because it seemed to domestic and trusting. He strove to be just like them, hopefully, if his next relationship wasn't as much of a mess as his previous one was.

"Hey, Keith," Matt beamed, looking up from his place on the sofa. "You're looking better."

Keith poured himself a mug of coffee and carefully rubbed his injured eye, picking away the sleep dust. "Hey."

He carried his mug to the couch and sat, purposefully, between Matt and Shiro, only to infuriate Pidge who was pushed up against the cushions. It also gave him an excuse to get warm; Matt wouldn't mind.

"Keith!" Pidge groaned. "You could've sat in the other chair!"

"The other chair is cold," Keith stuck his tongue out and grinned when Matt ruffled his hair. "I pick my favourites."

"Of course."

"I heard you got a date," Matt hummed, cocking a brow like his interest was piqued. "Shiro is the best at dating, after all."

Keith snorted and took out his phone, feeling his heart sink at the empty screen. Had Lance given up on him already?

"Yeah, just to test the waters to see if he wants another relationship," Shiro nodded. "It's taken time, but Lance is understanding."

Almost too understanding, Keith thought, but he had to discard his paranoia to one side after hearing Pidge choke on her cookie. It was as if she didn't know, and Keith was intrigued at this point.

After breakfast, Keith was left on his own with Pidge in Shiro's apartment. They'd decided to go shopping last-minute, but Keith couldn't blame him, Matt studied a few hours away from where Shiro lived and seeing him every day was a rare opportunity.

"You went on a date with Lance?" Pidge asked, dangling her legs off the edge of Keith's bed. "Lance McClain?"

Keith nodded. "Shiro set me up."

"Wow." Pidge hummed, taking out her phone. "It's a small world."

"What do you mean?"

And as if Keith had told her something completely unbelievable, Pidge tapped on her conversation with Lance and scrolled through all of the long, capitalised paragraphs that almost had Keith's heart skipping beats. Lance really was infatuated at first sight.

Shit.

"He gushed about you. He's been on dates before but I don't think he's ever been this excited to meet someone," Pidge passed her phone to him with a little sigh. "Take a look."

Keith was almost too deep in disbelief to fully take in what Lance had said.

 **Lance** ; 1:30am  
 _WHAT THE FUCK_

 **Lance** ; 1:31am  
 _SHIRO TOLD ME TO MEET THIS GUY IN A CAFE AND I dID AND I TOLD MYSELF I WASNT GONNA FALL FOR ANYONE ELSE BUT_

 **Lance** ; 1:31am  
 _I DID AND IT HURTS WHAT DO I DO_

 **Lance** ; 1:31am  
 _its ok what if he doesnt like me back?? i mean_

 **Lance** ; 1:32am  
 _he kind of wants another date and thats cool BUT im angry at myself for falling in love again_

With a little snort, Keith noticed Pidge hadn't responded to any of those messages, which was understandable, but he still couldn't believe the thought of Lance, of all people, being truly in love with him.

It'd barely been their first date. Keith was still thinking about whether he wanted another partner or not, but after reading Lance's messages to Pidge, he'd began to rethink.

"I think he wants to settle down," Pidge shrugged. "And I know you've had a bad time, and maybe you wanna rethink that, but honestly, Lance is a good person and you should have faith in him." 

"I thought my old partner was a good person."

Pidge furrowed her brow sympathetically and huffed. "I promise you, Lance is nothing like that douchebag of a boyfriend you had before. He's the complete opposite."

Keith took a deep breath. He really couldn't make up excuses any more, and he really wanted that second date at the aquarium. But even if Lance was just as special as he was brought up to be, Keith didn't know how to repay him.

He could always earn cash by returning to his job after his mind was back on track, but regarding physical touch and returning Lance's favours, he had trouble initiating it; whenever he thought of getting too close to someone, he kept thinking of the times his arms were grabbed to be pulled into hugs, how he was held too loosely or for too little, how everything he ever wanted was used against him in some kind of cruel game of emotional manipulation.

Pidge still looked up at him expectantly, searching his eyes for an answer. 

"The scars on your neck are healing," she murmured. Keith lifted a hand to touch them.

"I guess so," he nodded. "They're healing better than the other ones."

Pidge sighed. "Are you scared Lance is going to think bad of you?"

Keith wanted to say no, but that would be a blatant lie. So, he nodded subtly, rubbing his thumb along the smooth glass of his phone.

"I wouldn't be," she muttered. "I know it's easy for me to say, but, I trust Lance with my life. So does Hunk, and without him I doubt any of us would be where we are right now."

Keith swallowed. "Yeah."

And, as if he'd been programmed to say it, "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologising?"

"Habit." Keith murmured.

While they spent the rest of the day looking through clothing websites to find something nice for Keith to wear, Shiro and Matt came back with pizza, so Keith couldn't resist, and thought it was a better alternative to overthinking about his relationships in his bedroom.

Even Matt seemed to pick up on Keith's slight personality change, and although it shrugged it off, he appreciated the support he received nonetheless. Keith was trying his very best, and if building himself up again for Lance was making his heart sing, then that was all the motivation he needed.

After he almost ate himself sick, his heart fluttered when his phone buzzed on the table, and he picked it up quick enough to hurt his wrist.

 **Lance** ; 6:34pm  
 _how do you feel about the aquarium tomorrow, hotshot?_

Keith barely had time to hide his screen from Pidge as she leaned over his shoulder. She had a Cheshire grin stretching her lips, and she nodded quickly, which gave Keith enough confidence to type out a response.

 **Keith** ; 6:36pm  
 _Sure thing._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hnnn keef <33
> 
> if you have any ideas regarding fluff or smut, hmu!! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith feeds sharks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies for not updating as much! i have some time to write a little more now <3

Even with Matt in the house, Keith couldn't find an outfit to wear, and Matt was the only person he knew with an excellent fashion sense besides Shiro, who was currently out of the house at work.

"What do you think suits you?" Matt asked, and all Keith could do was shrug and stare at the uncountable amount of sweaters and dress shirts Matt owned. "You can always go out and buy clothes beforehand."

"He wants me there at eleven," Keith groaned, running his hands through his hair. Dressing himself shouldn't be this stressful. "We both wore red last time accidentally."

Matt folded his arms and huffed. Keith had his heart set on his usual outfit, a pair of jeans and one of his many sweaters, but if Matt saw him walk out of the house like that, he'd be ashamed; it's not like Matt  _didn't_  want Keith in sweaters. He just wanted him to experiment with style, and if he wanted to impress Lance, that was one of many factors.

As for Keith, he was slightly less nervous to go on a date. He'd never been to an aquarium for a while, if not ever, and since Lance worked there, he was intrigued to know what his plans were. Still, he felt bad for having barely any money in his wallet, or anything to repay him with, but he was working on it.

If he was truly in love with Lance by the time this date was over (which he was doubting), he thought about a bouquet or some chocolates. Or whatever the hell Lance liked.

"I mean, you've already got jeans on, Shiro did your makeup before he left," Pidge huffed. "Just wear that blue one."

She gestured to a plain blue sweater, much to Matt's dismay, and tossed it to Keith in hopes that he'd catch it. After a little flinch, Keith caught it and pulled it on, adjusting it in the mirror.

He'd grown used to seeing his body in the mirror now. In his previous relationship, he'd feel nauseous whenever he looked at his reflection.

"Is that better?" Matt asked, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I think you look better."

"Better." Keith snorted. "Thank you."

While he sat in the passenger seat of Matt's car, he tried not to think about the advances he should make. After all, initiating things had suddenly become much harder, and kisses, let alone hugs, were almost foreign.

In fact, Keith can't remember the last time he truly felt something during an advancement of 'affection.' However, he did his best to forget that, along with his awful relationship—which, luckily, he'd escaped from—and focused on having fun.

He couldn't let his mind ruin it.

The aquarium laid near a large beach, which Keith had always been fond of. With its white sand and crystal-clear, turquoise waters, it was as if it were straight out of a storybook, embellished with hidden treasures and deep-blue lagoons glinting in the morning sun. Despite adoring how gorgeous it looked then, Keith preferred it at sunset, when everything was showered in ribbons of gold.

"Don't be nervous, have fun," Matt grinned, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. "I'll pick you up here, same bat time, same bat place."

Keith snorted and slammed the door shut, straightened his sweater, and began walking down the concrete steps to enter the aquarium below. The scent of saltwater flooded his nose, which seemed cleansing, but his mind seemed far too foggy to concentrate on anything.

Despite his makeup and the coverage of other marks, Keith still felt wary in a public environment, just like the mall, but he couldn't let his anxieties ruin his experience with Lance this time. This was something Lance had a true passion for, and Keith hoped this was going to be fun. If his thoughts didn't get in the way.

There were many visitors at the aquarium, so Keith shoved his hands into his pockets and kept his head down, speed-walking all the way to the entrance until he heard his name being called.

"Hey!" a voice trilled, and Keith lifted his head to see Lance grinning back at him. "Hey, Keith."

And despite Keith being so indecisive about dating again, he still found himself getting lost in those blue eyes of his and giving him a small wave in return.

"Hello," Keith replied. "Are we going in?"

"Yeah!" Lance beamed, gesturing to a boy behind him in work uniform. "This's my buddy Hunk, I thought I'd introduce him to you before we head inside, he helps with the octopi."

With a little smile, Keith waved, his chest already feeling warm with how Lance introduced his friends. Hunk seemed to be more than delighted to both see him and meet Keith for the first time, so with jittery hands, Keith shook Hunk's.

"Nice to meet you!" Hunk laughed. "I've heard more than enough about you."

It wasn't until Hunk pulled him into a hug unexpectedly and patted his back, when Keith practically jumped out of his fright and winced at the touches against his sensitive skin. He laughed it off, but his heart was hammering.

"You ready?" Lance asked, chuckling lightly at Keith's slight nod. "I know, he's enthusiastic."

They walked around the winding, open hallways of the aquarium, and Keith seemed to appreciate the atmosphere more than he thought—with the subtle, blue lighting on the floor, he enjoyed the otherworldly experience as he strolled along with Lance, and the fish even more so.

Lance spewed knowledge about the aquarium and marine biology as if he lived beneath the sea itself. He was mesmerised, and Keith adored the way his sapphire eyes gleamed when he rambled about his passion, quoting phrase with big words Keith didn't understand but responded to anyway, just to keep Lance talking about what he loved.

In fact, Keith never really got to know his previous partner. But once those thoughts attempted to invade his head, he shook them back out again, and walked with Lance to the shark exhibit.

"Here's my area," Lance began, walking over to a kiosk and presenting his ID card, before reaching for a container full of food and beckoning Keith over.

His fingers were curled around a door handle, which Keith assumed opened up onto the catwalk above the tank, and even though he was excited, he was apprehensive, and nervousness seared through his mind like a wildfire.

"Keith?" Lance hummed. "Oh, are you scared of sharks?"

"No," Keith murmured, scratching the back of his neck. "A little bit."

"I wouldn't worry," Lance smiled. "Most of the sharks we have in here are for rescue purposes. They're all friendly and I wouldn't let one go near you; if it comes to that, anyway."

Keith looked at the box in Lance's hand and the confident smile stretching his lips. With his hand outstretched, Keith was tempted to take it.

"You don't have to, you can just watch," Lance suggested. "But honestly, Keith, these guys're sweethearts."

Keith averted his gaze to the leopard sharks in the tank, along with the stingrays. "You sure?"

"'Course I am," Lance smiled. "I wouldn't be asking you if I knew they were dangerous."

Hesitantly, Keith took Lance's hand; it was soft and warm and held Keith's with the perfect amount of pressure, not too tight, not too loose, just secure and perfect.

He was led through the door and onto the catwalk, but as soon as the visitors stopped in their tracks to see the boys in the middle of the tank, Keith was sure he could feel every single pair of eyes on him at once.

It made his skin crawl, but somehow, the way Lance held his hand was soothing. Keith tried to hold his in return with the same amount of pressure, still worrying about whether or not he was holding his hand too tight.

While he watched Lance toss the food into the water, he also noticed how he'd smile every time he received a reaction from the audience. He must be popular, Keith assumed, and obviously loved making the visitors happy.

One thing that terrified him, however, was when Lance bent all the way over, a piece of food between his fingers, almost dipping them into the water. It almost gave Keith a heart attack every time, but the sharks were gentle, and Lance was sure to give each of them a little tap on the nose.

"Did you want to try? Just be careful," he asked, but Keith was far too absorbed in how confident Lance was. "You can just throw it in if you don't want to give it to them directly."

After a small nod, he was given a morsel, a tiny, glimmering grey fish that he held by the tail. He leaned against the metal railing and tried to throw it at the shark Lance was feeding; he received a small pat on the shoulder for instead. He hoped Lance didn't notice the tiny flinch.

"Hey, try this little one over here," Lance pointed to a smaller leopard shark. "That one's called Charlie."

Fortunately, Keith grew to love tossing food for the sharks, and appreciated Lance's hands supporting his waist so he didn't fall in. He began to feel fuzzy at the coos of the audience, and when he was done, he was even more eager than before.

"See? It's not that bad," Lance chuckled. "Did you want to pet some stingrays?"

"Pet them?"

Soon enough, Keith had his hands in cold water, letting the stingrays swim up to him in turn as they glided along the large pool. He followed Lance's every move, including how he fed them, but this time, it was much different than the sharks.

"You can't toss it in this time," Lance began, providing Keith with a morsel and keeping one for his own. "Their mouths are underneath, so you have to put your hand flat against the waterbed, like this."

Keith watched as Lance's hand plunged into the water, holding the food between his fingers. A single ray swam to his hand, and before Keith could react, the food was gone.

"Want me to help?" Lance asked. Keith shrugged.

"Maybe if it eats me."

It was a weird sensation, getting the food pulled right out of his fingers, and Keith would always yank his hand back in case he felt anything else touching him. While that made Lance giggle, he'd always be behind for support.

Afterwards, Lance found Hunk again, and they walked around each exhibit while Keith listened to the two of them speak about their favourite aquatic animals. He stepped on moving walkways to observe a few fish from afar, fell in love with tiny jellyfish, and began to miss every single animal he met once they ended up in the gift shop.

"You said this was your favourite part, right?" Keith grinned, picking up a small polar bear plush. "How come?"

"I have the collection of sharks over here and I just need the biggest one to complete it," Lance replied, gesturing to a pile of different-sized sharks. "I have five of them. You need six to complete the family."

"Wow," Keith laughed, picking up the closest shark and cradling it. "And you have these?"

"Mhm!" Lance nodded. "Would you like one of Charlie?"

Keith was immediately greeted by a leopard shark, which he was sure was just the same as the others, but Lance made it so specific that Keith couldn't look at it without associating it with his favourite shark.

He took it with a little laugh. "It's so sweet."

"I'll buy it for you."

Keith thought that single sentence over in his head, as well as the other things he hadn't heard before.

_I'll buy it for you._

_Just be careful._

_I wouldn't let it go near you._

It seemed unrealistic for someone to be talking to him as gentle as this, and when matched with Lance's soft smile, Keith found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place.

He was beginning to trust Lance. And he didn't know if he liked it or not.

"L-Like, as a souvenir for our date," Lance suggested. "Unless you don't want the shark, we can choose something else."

"No, no," Keith shook his head. "I like the shark."

"Yeah?" Lance beamed. "C'mere, I'll get you a little something else, too."

Keith shouldn't have been as happy as he was when he clipped the light-up jellyfish keyring onto his keys and turned it on and off. It was childish, but he loved it, and they both walked out of the aquarium feeling closer than when they first entered.

However, once Keith saw Matt's car parked, his heart sank. He didn't want to leave so soon.

"Hey, I was wondering," Lance murmured, his gaze on the floor. "Did you want to come back to my apartment and have a pizza or something? You don't have to, I just booked work off so I could take you in there, so I have nothing to do this evening."

Keith looked back at Matt's car. He had to do this to help himself, there was no way he'd be able to rebuild without confronting his anxiousness. Besides, he'd began to enjoy Lance's company, and a pizza wouldn't hurt.

"Give me a moment."

He quickly walked over to Matt's car and knocked on the window to get his attention. Once it rolled down, Matt's face contorted in concern.

"You alright?" he asked. "Seems a little early. Why have you got a shark?"

"It's Charlie." Keith replied, and quickly shook his head. "Look— please can I go with Lance back to his apartment?"

"Why are you asking me like I'm your mom?" Matt snorted. "Yeah, just text me or Shiro or whatever."

"I don't know," Keith swallowed. "Sorry."

"Why are you—?"

And Keith skittered off before he could drown himself in self-doubt, returning to Lance with a nod.

"Great!" Lance smiled. "We'll have great fun, I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so so much to thelazyfanartist for [drawing this amazing fanart for me](https://doubtfulbones.tumblr.com/post/172358071138/thelazyfanartist-when-a-fanfiction-makes-you) on tumblr!! you're a sweetheart!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith visits Lance's apartment, and has a few realisations.

Keith expected to get into a car at some point, but it definitely made sense when he realised that Lance lived close to the aquarium as well as the beach, which oddly enough, seemed to warm his heart.

Lance's apartment wasn't huge, but it wasn't little either. Once Keith stepped in he was taken aback by the warm light of the sunset pouring through the large window, overlooking the beach and the quiet street below.

On the left was a kitchen, an island counter and some stools. A neat bowl of fruit was placed directly in the middle, and all of his little appliances like the coffee machine and the toaster were shades of blue and silver. Plush, grey carpet covered the floor, and Keith watched Lance walk ahead into the cosy living room, complete with a white couch and a beanbag in the far corner.

He was soon picturing Lance sitting in that very beanbag and looking outside. Everything seemed homely and suited to Lance's taste, which, luckily for Keith, wasn't overly formal. He didn't feel out of place.

His feet were practically stuck to the welcome mat at this point, unsure about moving. He didn't want to intrude, or break something; he kept eyeing the white vase holding an orchid, its petals ranging from soft pinks to rich reds and fuchsia. And when Keith watched Lance kick off his shoes and slump down onto the couch, he couldn't help but feel strange.

Everything seemed relaxed. From the fluffy white rug beneath his coffee table, the clean bathroom to the left, and the closed door, presumably his bedroom on the right, his apartment already looked domestic and warm.

However, his doubts diminished like little clouds as he felt something warm snake in and out of his legs. After a small jump, Keith looked down to see a grey cat, its eyes big and shiny and ever so blue. 

Lance laughed and walked over, kneeling down to pick up the cat. "Are you saying hi to Keith?"

"That's your cat?" Keith asked, tapping its only white paw. He'd never admit it, though Shiro knew it well. Keith had always had a warm spot for cats, but his ex was both allergic and never gave Keith what he wanted or needed, even if he asked nicely.

"His name's Caspian," Lance smiled. "He also responds to Casper. He's two."

"Hello," Keith murmured, stroking the cat behind the ears with his finger. His heart melted into a useless puddle once Caspian nuzzled back. "I like his sock."

"Yeah," Lance laughed softly, and promptly put the cat on the floor. "What did you want to do? I have Mariokart, I guess, we can watch a movie, or just sit and look outside. Or I could walk you round."

The possibilities seemed endless, and every single one was like a gateway to get to know Lance a little better. 

"I-I don't mind," Keith hummed. "Should I take my shoes off?"

"You don't have to," Lance replied. "I just throw them anywhere."

It really was relaxed at Lance's apartment. 

"But don't you worry about, like," Keith cocked a brow. "Dirt being on your carpet or on the couch? Or how it's bad manners?"

Lance snorted. "Which house do you live in to have etiquette like that, bud?"

Keith swallowed.  _Ah._

"Anyway," Lance took Keith's shoes once he'd kicked them off and opened a little cabinet, full of Lance's other pairs of shoes, and placed them inside. "I can give you a mini tour?"

The first thing they conquered, as Keith guessed first, was the kitchen. Lance hopped onto the counter and crossed his legs while Keith looked around, keeping his hands to himself.

His fridge was covered in photos, all stuck on by magnets from different locations. He recognised Hunk and Pidge in many of them, as well as the beach, and a couple of him on his own holding a surfboard. There were family photos, college photos, even school photos, and Keith tried to suppress a smile at the one of Lance from when he was younger, donning a pair of glasses and dental braces.

"Don't look at that," Lance laughed playfully. "I wear contact lenses now. I had an overbite."

"You should show me your glasses sometime," Keith smirked.

"You can go through my cupboards, I trust you enough."

Keith didn't hesitate at that, and found the amount of pop tarts in the first one amusing. As well as the cat food and treats, Lance was organised with his stock, and plenty of his jars had recipes taped onto them, scribbled down in blue pen. Each plastic bag was held shut by a blue peg.

"You're so organised," Keith marvelled, pulling open the door of the fridge. "Even your fucking eggs are organised."

Lance snorted and hopped off the counter. "I make my own smoothies so most of the fruit is frozen. There's ice cream in the bottom, which you can help yourself to. Other than that it's just milk and butter and other stuff, which is less impressive if you think about it."

"It's still nice," Keith shrugged. He tried not to think about his messy bedroom back at Shiro's place, or the utter state of his previous partner's apartment. He shuddered at the thought.

Lance's bedroom had a comfortable double-bed and the rest of his photographs were stuck up on the wall. The laptop upon his desk had a pink post-it note on the front. Lance brought up his phone for a couple of seconds, and soon music was playing softly through his speaker, before he sat upon his bed.

"It smells like coconut," Keith pointed out, sitting down next to him. Lance laid back and pointed to the array of candles upon his desk, right next to a few potted succulents. "I really like your room."

"I take pride in it," Lance admitted, pointing to the collection of sharks in the corner. "And there's my little family, but Casper likes to chew the little one."

The cat leapt onto the bed, and Keith laughed. "I'd kill to have my room like this."

While Lance took out his phone and ordered a pizza, Keith picked up the laser pointer on his nightstand and aimed it at the sheets, watching Caspian paw at it eagerly, his sapphire eyes blown bright and wide.

Somehow, Keith felt safe. The scent of both Lance and his apartment felt homely to him; Shiro's felt different.

"Keith?" Lance murmured. "Did Casper scratch you?"

Keith froze at the sudden fingers upon the scars in his neck, and he quickly raised a hand to cover them, rubbing at them tenderly. He shook it off with a little laugh, nodding, hoping Lance would buy it. 

"Yeah, he must've..." Keith hummed, grabbing the pointer. "I'm alright though."

Despite Lance nodding, Keith still grimaced at the crawling sensation creeping up his back, expecting some kind of punishment for lying. But all Lance did was lie back down and beckon the cat over, letting him curl up under his arm.

"C'mere," Lance laughed. "Don't be so stiff, Keith, it's just me. I don't bite."

Keith was still going through the close call with his scars in his head. He watched Lance's face drop, and he retracted his hand defensively.

"Keith?" he murmured. "You alright, man?"

Keith blinked a couple of times and shuffled forward.  _How hard could it be?_

Hesitantly, he laid down next to Lance and watched Caspian stretch, relaxing completely against him. Although Keith flinched at the sudden hand upon his shoulder, wrapped around him securely, he soon slowly got used to the gentle caresses Lance gave, and relaxed instinctively.

_This wasn't so bad._

Basking in the warmth of Lance's body against him was soothing. His scent was gorgeous, and a lot more noticeable now that Keith was closer. His neck smelled of rich cologne, hair conditioner and cinnamon, along with the slightest hint of fabric softener. He glanced up to see Lance's closed eyes and fluttering lashes, chest rising and falling.

It wasn't long before Keith found himself drifting off, feeling slightly more comfortable and content. It was harder to fall asleep in a new environment but Keith had to train his body to do so if he wanted a better, brand-new relationship.

But drifting off led to sleep. And Keith was a deep sleeper, which was when his nightmares occurred, loud and vivid and petrifying, shaking his very core.

He was sat in his old apartment, crying his throat raw, though no sound came out. He was on the phone to someone, presumably Shiro, but everything he said seemed distorted and  _wrong_. A hand reached for him, grabbing his arm tight enough for bruises to form. It was likely he cried out, but everything was a blur. Every sound he made was silent.

The wind was knocked out of his lungs. A voice yelled at him over and over, bringing up insecurities, fears, anything to keep Keith under control.

And that was when he woke up, bolting upright with Lance saying his name, his chest heaving as he clutched it and sobbed.

"Keith, hey, whoa," Lance muttered, and Keith hated himself more for flinching at the hand on his back that only intended to comfort. "You were tossing and turning and it's only been half an hour, are you okay?"

Keith didn't know. He tried to cease his sobs and find that comfortable, safe place he curled up to a few minutes ago. Shiro would usually leave him to go back to sleep, but that was the worst. His mind wasn't going to wander anywhere else, but Lance's soft hands holding his was almost grounding, trying to pull him back down to Earth.

"Did you have a nightmare?" he asked, gently caressing Keith's knuckles with his thumbs. Even Caspian seemed concerned, and bumped his head against Keith's knee.

He nodded, and pulled a hand out of Lance's loose grip to wipe away tears.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lance asked, and Keith shook his head rapidly. "Okay, okay— Keith, hey, shh..."

Lance slowly opened his arms, letting Keith shuffle forward and find solace within them. He found that safe spot and buried his nose deep in it; the warm crook of Lance's neck was comfortable, and smelled like safety. He wrapped his arms around him with hesitance, his crying getting quieter by the second.

He realised that Lance was good at comforting, and perhaps he'd be good at understanding and listening, too. He just didn't want to fall in love too deep and get hurt, or be cast off as something else just because of his past.

"Pizza's here in five minutes," Lance murmured, his caresses smooth and slow. "Would you prefer it if you went home? Do you want to stay?"

Keith nodded. Shiro's apartment was cold and his bed didn't seem as welcoming as before, especially since it was placed in a spare room.

Lance pulled away and took out a packet of tissues from his pocket, before handing one to Keith with a sympathetic smile.

"I'm sorry I cried," Keith swallowed, blowing his nose. "I forgot nightmares were just— something I had, and..."

"It's okay," Lance chuckled. "Look, even Casper's worried. If you're homesick, you don't have to spend the night."

"It's not that," Keith hiccuped, throwing the tissue in the trash and taking a big, shaky breath. "Lance, do you love me?"

Lance's eyes widened, and they averted down to his fingers, now scratching underneath Caspian's chin. "Yeah."

Keith knew it. And he couldn't deny that he felt something too. Everything was just rattling around in his mind and it was going to take some time to get used to gentle touches.

"Already?" Keith sniffed, reaching for his leopard shark plush. "How?"

"I don't know?" Lance shrugged. "I guess I might fall a little quickly? But you make me feel really warm, like, you know when you open a pizza box and the warmth radiates off of it onto you and all you get is that gorgeous scent that leaves you wanting more. You make me feel like that."

Keith couldn't help it. He chuckled lightly and smoothed his palm down Caspian's back.

"What about you?" Lance asked.

Shit.

Keith didn't want to say  _yes_ , but he didn't want reply negatively either. Lance seemed to notice this and adjusted his sitting position with a smile.

"It's okay if you don't know, I mean," he began, "I still think we can be buddies. Did you want another date?"

"Maybe," Keith nodded. "I don't have a lot of money or ideas, though."

"I was just thinking ice cream," Lance shrugged. "There's a parlour by the beach. But only if you want another date, obviously."

Ice cream sounded wonderful, and it was something Keith could afford for the both of them. "Yeah," he replied.

The room fell silent after that, and Keith still felt awful for leaving tear stains on Lance's sweater. He was never fond of crying in front of others, even Shiro, who had to comfort him more often than not.

"But it's alright," Lance smiled. "Nightmares are the worst, I understand, and we can definitely stay up all night if you prefer."

Keith laughed, and as if on cue, the doorbell rang. He watched Lance get up with a little grin, and he sighed, feeling that little bit more secure.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith finds comfort.

"Stop beating my ass!" Lance laughed, his fingers mashing the buttons on his controller.

Keith replied with a little snort, clearly too absorbed in  _Mariokart_  for his own good. He'd been playing with Shiro in his spare time when things got a bit too much, and of course, that led him to having a champion title.

Which, he was proud of, but Lance was hot on his tail.

After Keith sped past the finish line, taking the final race under his wing and finishing first place, he picked up a slide of pizza from the box upon the coffee table in front of him, and marvelled at how the cheese could stretch so far.

He was having fun. And it left a warm feeling in his chest that he didn't want to leave alone, so he kept it there to fester, to make home in his heart, because he hadn't felt like that for a long, long time.

Lance placed his controller down on the pillow next to him, almost waking Caspian, who laid curled up next to him. So far, Lance hadn't made any advancements or taken Keith's weakness for granted. Keith was relaxed, adoring the homely atmosphere of Lance's apartment; after spending a couple of hours there, he'd usually get up to help himself to snacks, drinks, and other things, which Lance didn't seem to mind about.

"So," Lance hummed, crossing his legs and putting his feet up on the table, something Keith was called a heathen for back at Shiro's apartment. "What's your favourite ice cream flavour?"

Keith swallowed his mouthful, and let Lance wipe the sauce from the corner of his lip. "Chocolate or cherry."

After, Keith pulled out his phone to message Shiro, just in case he was worried about his whereabouts, which happened more often than not. He was enjoying his time with Lance which was definitely something, and the fact that he could be settling for once made his chest feel warm.

He just had to stop jolting and shuddering whenever Lance raised his hand. He seemed to take a liking to the cat, which he was sure Lance didn't mind about. The cat was smaller than Keith, and only came over when it wanted to, so he didn't feel pressured about giving it constant attention.

Even when they were laid down on the bed with a movie rolling on the television, the cat took the space up between him and Lance, so Keith didn't  _have_  to get close.

It wasn't that he didn't want to. Of course Keith wanted to settle. His anxiousness was relaying back and forth and couldn't provide a definite answer for him.

Maybe he'd just go with the flow and follow Lance's lead.

With Caspian curled up in his lap, Keith stroked and softly scratched the areas behind his ears, hearing that same, comforting purr. It seemed to remove every sign of anxiousness and hesitation festering within Keith, until, like clouds, it floated away as the movie went on.

Caspian moved to curl up upon Keith's legs, and that was when he settled into Lance's gentle hold, warm and comfortable. He watched his chest rise and fall, and placed a hand upon it, noticing how the corner of Lance's relaxed lips twitched into a smile.

"Comfy there?" he hummed, gently bringing an arm around Keith and squeezing him closer. "You didn't flinch that time."

Keith stilled, feeling his blood run cold. "You notice?"

"Sometimes," Lance murmured. "But it's alright; do you know why you do it? Or is it just instinct?"

Keith felt awful for lying, but he didn't want Lance's pity right now. He just wanted to remain like this.

"Instinct," Keith replied, settling in the warm crook of Lance's neck to inhale his scent. "I'm just jumpy. Skin's sensitive."

"I see," Lance hummed.

Keith laid next to him for a couple of hours, drifting in and out of sleep, adoring the comfort that he received. He didn't want to move, even when Lance got up to get ready for bed, which is when everything went downhill slightly.

He had to undress to sleep. And he couldn't just wear his clothes to bed. He didn't want to spoil such a nice moment by letting Lance see the impact his last relationship had on his body.

Instead, Keith watched Lance pull on a pair of pyjama pants and crawl into bed with a little yawn.

"You not getting dressed, hotshot?" Lance murmured. "Do you sleep with your clothes on?"

"I didn't bring pyjamas," Keith replied, turning over to see him. "Could I borrow some, please?"

"Yeah, 'course."

Lance reached back into his drawers and threw Keith some sleepwear, providing him with some options before looking away for the sake of his privacy.

Keith hated getting changed and looking down at his body. Most of those marks weren't due to fade anytime soon, which was just a grim reminder of his last partner. He just wanted him out of his head. That was all.

After changing, Keith crawled into bed, staying wary after Lance turned the light off. It seemed ominous, and though Keith usually slept with some kind of weapon under his bed, he felt bare and vulnerable without one.

"You're so far away," Lance laughed quietly. "You're closer to Caspian than you are to me."

Keith let the cat curl up on his chest as he rolled over onto his back. Lance inched closer, looking down at him.

"Shiro said you were unique," he hummed, his fingers caressing Keith's right cheek. Keith cocked a brow.

"What'd he tell you?" he muttered, shivering beneath the gentle touch. Even in the low light, he could see Lance's relaxed smile.

"Just little things," Lance whispered. "Nothing drastic. I think he left me to find out a few things on my own."

Of course Shiro would. Keith trusted him, and if he told Lance anything he'd rather keep a secret, he'd be thoroughly upset and disappointed. Not only that, but it'd damage his reputation, and there were some things that were far too obvious to tell Lance about.

"What've you found out so far?" Keith asked, blinking tiredly. "If you think you love me."

"I think I do," Lance laughed, his fingers trailing down to Keith's neck, his chest, his stomach, coaxing a shudder out of him. "I—"

"What're you doing?" Keith swallowed. He watched as Lance's face fell.

"Nothing, I'm just feeling you, I'm curious," Lance replied. "I'm not some kind of, some kind of pervert, Keith. I respect you. Where do you want my hand?"

He meant well, Keith knew that. And after being reassured as sternly as that, he was tempted to apologise, but swallowed his words before they spilled out of his mouth. Fortunately, Lance kept his word, which Keith was new to.

"On my stomach," Keith murmured. "Anyway— you were saying?"

"I know you're afraid of sharks, but you fed them today, and I'm proud of you," Lance continued, his fingers dancing over Keith's stomach.

It wasn't long before he realised that he was ticklish, and biting back laughter was harder than he thought, especially since there were bruises underneath his shirt. It was painless, but they added to his sensitivity, which meant it was difficult to stay still while Lance tickled him subtly.

"You like chocolate ice cream, which I'm also a fan of," Lance hummed. "You beat my ass at Mariokart."

"Is that a fact, now?" Keith smirked, his lips twitching into a smile as Lance's fingers pressed into his ribs.

"It should be," Lance laughed. "And you— what're you giggling at?"

"Nothing," Keith snorted, before Lance gave him a mischievous grin.

His stomach was attacked immediately, causing the cat to wake up and skitter away while Keith writhed and laughed so hard his stomach hurt. His arms thrashed in an attempt to push Lance away, but it was to no avail. Lance could pin him down and tickle him as much as he want.

And Keith didn't care. Not one bit. Every single negative thought had diminished into focusing on laughing and smiling and trying to tickle Lance in return, even if his attempts were proven futile.

"You're ticklish!" Lance laughed, riddling Keith's body with tiny attacks of his slender fingers. "Your laugh is wonderful, why didn't I do this earlier?"

"Because—  _Lance!"_ Keith squealed, laughter bubbling out of his mouth. It wasn't until Lance's fingers pressed into bruises where he had to wince, but he powered through, determined to fight Lance off, albeit playfully.

After a while, Lance allowed him to catch his breath and flopped onto the mattress next to him. His chest heaved, and he felt so sore, but it was so worth it.

What he didn't expect, however, was the small kiss upon his forehead after he curled up to Lance. Keith looked up hesitantly to see Lance smiling softly, his tired eyes lidded, his fingers slowly brushing through Keith's hair.

"What was that for?" he murmured, placing his hand upon Lance's bare chest.

"Because I like you, and you're ticklish," Lance replied. "Are you ticklish anywhere else?"

"Lance." Keith snorted, rolling his eyes before closing them. "You can't like me because I'm ticklish."

"Yeah I can," Lance laughed. "You fit so perfectly under my arm."

Keith hid his small smile in the crook of Lance's neck. "Sappy."

Lance was quick, almost  _too_ quick to fall asleep, which made Keith slightly vulnerable to the dark and whatever else he was afraid of. Luckily, the cat was still padding around the room, before settling underneath Keith's arm and purring happily, which always seemed to make his heart melt.

"You trust Lance, huh?" Keith whispered, letting Caspian nudge his hand with his head. "I bet he treats you well, doesn't he?"

The purrs never ceased. Caspian seemed happy in his environment, and he never strayed away from Lance, which was a good sign. His blue collar had a little silver bell hanging in the middle, just beneath his chin, and once he was done marking Keith with his scent, the little shake he gave afterwards was enough to make it jangle.

"Shh," Keith whispered, trying not to laugh when he was pawed in the face. "What do you want?"

Caspian gave a small meow, and hopped off the bed, looking at Keith with his big, blue eyes.

"Did Lance not feed you?" he frowned, looking over to Lance. "That's no good, is it?"

Another meow. Keith was coaxed to the kitchen until he arrived at an empty food bowl, which he sorted out immediately.

"How rude of him," Keith laughed quietly, only to get another meow in return. "I know! He left you starving, didn't he?"

After rifling through many cupboards, Keith eventually discovered the cat food and poured an appropriate amount into the metal bowl, which Caspian seemed to be grateful for. He sat down next to the cat, watching him eat, hearing his purrs for the umpteenth time. He was so content, and Keith must have found solace within them.

"Keith?"

His heart skipped a beat. He should've stayed in bed.

"What are you doing?" Lance asked, leaning against the door of his room. Keith glanced at the cat.

"Sorry, I was..." he swallowed, "I-I was feeding Caspian, he was meowing at me and led me here and—"

"Okay!"

And back to bed he went.

Keith expected worse. He looked down at Caspian, now sitting beside him and cleaning his front paws. Would he face consequences?

He walked back to Lance's bedroom and crawled back into bed hesitantly. His heart shouldn't be pounding as hard as it was. He knew he could trust Lance somehow.

"I'm sorry for getting up," Keith murmured, flinching as Lance raised his hand, only to wrap an arm around him and lazily pull him into a cuddle. "Aren't you mad?"

"What're you talkin' about?" Lance mumbled, a sleepy smile stretching his lips. "'m grateful, I feel like an asshole for forgetting to feed my own cat. Don't apologise."

Caspian's loud purring filled the room again. "Are you sure?" Keith asked, slowly settling into the warmth of Lance's arms.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Keith shrugged and waited for the cat to leap onto the bed before he even began to think about sleeping. There was something so oddly comforting about Caspian.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith learns a lot.

With a warm, strong arm pulling him close, Keith thought he'd almost forgotten what safety feels like.

It almost felt like home, where  _Lance_ was, and it felt significantly different to Shiro's apartment, which, at the moment, didn't seem as appealing as Lance's comfortable bed did.

He was surrounded by everything safe, despite the lack of a weapon underneath the bed. Keith felt like he didn't need it any more, not in the solace of Lance's bedroom, where nothing could possibly go wrong.

Not until he realised that Lance was still asleep, and Keith couldn't wriggle free if he wanted to. After a small panic, he settled upon the realisation that Lance had no intention to harm him  _at all—_ and that if he needed to go, he'd let him without question.

From his space in the bed, he could hear a lot; it was a talent he wished he didn't have, only picked up by trying to recognise his past partner's footsteps in order to tidy up whatever he was doing to prevent punishment.

Keith quickly shook those thoughts from his head and decided to look out of the window instead, adoring how Lance's blue curtains flooded the room with a gorgeous sapphire hue, as if they were laying peacefully upon the seabed. A golden ray peeped through the gap in the middle, accentuating Lance's sleeping face, illuminating his cheekbones and the relaxed smile playing upon his lips.

That was it, Keith's brain had tied Lance to a safe place, whether he liked it or not. Actually, Keith  _did_ like it. He'd just have to get used to it first.

The second thing he laid eyes upon was Caspian curled up in the nest of sharks in the corner of the room. If he liked it here, Lance must've been a safe haven for him, too. Keith watched him stretch, his little pink pads flaring out and curling back in as he relaxed in the comfort of stuffed animals.

Keith turned around, noticing how Lance's arm had dropped. He took a moment to observe him, capturing every freckle, eyelash and strand of hair he could lay his eyes upon. It felt strange; Keith's face still felt dry from the makeup he wore, and he grimaced at the fact that it must've been all over his face by now, but he couldn't understand how Lance's skin was so clean and free of any blemishes.

After that realisation, Keith swallowed roughly. Would Lance consider him as ugly if he saw everything?

He caught those thoughts before they plagued his brain and decided to deal with them later. For now, he kept his eyes on the golden strip upon Lance's face put there by the morning sun, watching his eyelashes flutter and his lip twitch.

His lips seemed softer than the rest of him, and all Keith could think of was how his ex used to complain about how he kissed. Keith bit his lip and took a deep breath, wondering if Lance's lips would feel any different.

Was Keith really that bad? He didn't know. It wasn't as if he'd had a class in kissing techniques or how to seduce people, let alone make anyone like him.

In fact, Keith didn't know he was looking at Lance for that long until his stupid, radiant, blue eyes opened, and his stupid perfect lips formed a stupid smile which  _of course_ had Keith's heart racing.

"Morning," he laughed, his voice slightly husky and full of sleepy undertones. "How long have you been watching me sleep, curious?"

Keith almost rolled his eyes at the nickname and shook his head with a shrug, before laying on his back. "Just a few minutes."

"You were looking at my lips long enough," Lance grinned, propping himself up. "Are you asking for a kiss?"

Keith felt his blood run cold, but his cheeks were far from freezing.

"N-No!" he huffed, turning the other way. "I was just looking at you closely."

"Looking at my  _lips_ closely." Lance hummed, settling his chin upon Keith's shoulder. "I'm serious, though. I won't bite."

With everything that'd happened, Keith had began to consider it, and so he rolled onto his side again to face Lance's cheeky grin. He  _did_ want to, but he wasn't ready to face embarrassment if Lance laughed at his poor kissing skills.

As if he felt concerned about Keith's silence, Lance cocked his head and tapped Keith's nose. "Are you shy—?"

"No," Keith swallowed. "I just can't— I'm not good at—"

"Hey," Lance laughed. "Deep breaths, take your time."

Keith let his heart calm down. "I can't kiss, it's embarrassing, I was told that I didn't kiss well before."

Lance frowned. "Who told you that?"

"My ex."

It was enough information to give without spilling it all out, and Keith quickly discarded everything to do with his past relationship as he watched Lance think. He could almost hear the cogs whirring in his brain while he thought.

"What if I taught you?" Lance suggested, his eyes lighting up at the idea. "It'd help you relax around me and also, we can kiss for the first time, so it's up to you I guess."

Keith considered it. His gaze averted to Lance's lips, and back to his eyes again. If this was a chance to get better, then he didn't care about messing up. Well, at least a little bit, anyway.

"Okay," he breathed, and watched Lance's smile turn soft.

"Just follow my lead," he murmured. "Not too hard, not too soft. Want me to kiss you first so you can learn?"

Keith's heart skipped a beat at the thought. He could do this. Easy-peasy.

"Yeah."

Lance was slow and cautious, which Keith was thankful for. He let him lean in close, and soon those lips were touching him, pressing a gentle kiss to his own. They were velvet against his skin, luring him in, desperate for more. It only lasted a couple of seconds, but Keith thought he'd kept his eyes closed for hours just to melt in the warm texture of  _Lance._

Keith hadn't been kissed like that, or felt something so powerful, in a long time.

It was as if, piece-by-piece, his old self was returning, and he was eager to meet new people and explore and test his limits and let himself do things he was afraid of up until now—

The spark diminished once Lance pulled away, and he laughed softly at Keith's flushing cheeks. 

"Was that okay?" he asked. "You're blushing, am I that good?"

Keith snorted. "Don't rub it in."

"Just take it easy," Lance hummed, cupping Keith's cheek. "You ready?"

He went in for another kiss, and Keith was confident. This was a whole new person, and a whole new chance to start again. His lids closed slowly as his lips met with Lance's once more, his pressure a little too hard at first but he adjusted accordingly, before melting into a second, mind-blowing kiss that had him  _craving_.

He'd been starved of this for so long. Even when Lance pulled back, Keith dived in again and couldn't help but smile when he laughed into the kiss. 

And so he kept going, letting Lance gently pull him into kisses, some deeper than others, until he was practically drowning in his scent and warmth and touch and  _him—_

—and God forbid he left the room, because Lance would pounce on him quicker than a cat would, luring him in for another taste; Keith's heart was hammering against his chest, his gut was stirring, and all this was in excitement because he just  _couldn't stop—_

—until Lance's hands began to roam, and Keith knew where that excitement was circulating, so in a sudden feat of strength and a sprinkle of fear, he instinctively shoved Lance away with a hand to his chest and tried to catch his breath.

From then on, all Keith could do was apologise.

"Too much?" Lance asked, and Keith nodded, avoiding eye-contact at all costs. His partner would always mention how most of his emotion was revealed by his eyes. "I'm sorry, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I," Keith breathed, silently cursing himself for stopping such a fantastic moment. "What's for breakfast?"

Keith ate the cinnamon rolls Lance heated up for him in the comfort of the beanbag against the window. Somehow, he still wanted to try again, but he felt awful for pushing Lance away when he could've just said something.

Caspian curled up beside him, and he let Lance sit down in front, watching the sun rise above the beach outside.

"Sorry if I made you uncomfortable this morning," he said, reaching out for one of Keith's hands, which he held tightly. "But you're not a bad kisser at all, y'know, I'd have those lips all over me if I could."

Keith laughed and rested his head against the window. "Don't worry about the uncomfortable thing. I'm just— my body's weird like that, I feel as if I always have to be on my feet or at least have an escape just in case."

"I see," Lance murmured, watching Caspian rub his cheek against his hand. "Do you not feel safe here? You can leave whenever you want to, I mean, I don't mind at all, but there's nothing to worry about. I'm not a serial killer or anything."

"That's what a serial killer would say," Keith grinned, but that fell quickly when Lance narrowed his eyes.

"Are you wearing makeup?" he asked. "Nothing wrong with it if you do, I like makeup, it's just all over your cheeks and you look like a massive emo right now."

Keith tried to laugh it off, hoping the lack of it on his face wasn't revealing too much. "When am I not?"

"So you're admitting to being an emo?" Lance smirked, picking Caspian up and cradling him. "You're not a bad one, I must say."

Keith watched Caspian completely relax in Lance's arms, and despite the gentle swatting of his chin and the icing left on his lips, he seemed content. Much more pliant than other cats he'd seen.

"Why is Caspian like that?" he asked.

"Like what?" Lance replied, gently bouncing his arms. "So pliant and relaxed? He's a rescue."

"A rescue?"

Lance nodded, and put Caspian down, letting him lie against the beanbag. "The previous owner was a big meanie and didn't take care of him very well. He was malnourished in the shelter when I found him, his fur was in terrible condition."

Lance brought his phone out, scrolled a bit, and showed Keith a picture of Caspian when he was a tiny, tattered kitten. He then looked at the healthy cat curled up at his feet, purring happily in his sleep. It was almost unbelievable how that was the same cat.

"He kind of clung to me when I took him home," Lance explained. "So he's mostly hanging around with me now. He doesn't go outside, but he follows me to the beach sometimes. He's taken a liking to you, which is a good thing."

"He must love you a lot," Keith hummed, scratching Caspian softly behind his ears. "He's very gentle."

"Apparently he'd play with the puppies when the shelter had a little interaction session," Lance smiled. "Which is perfect, because he's so happy all the time. He won't shut up when I'm cooking. He'll sit on the counter and we'll have conversations for ages."

"So you just meow back at him?" Keith laughed. "He was meowing at me last night."

"I know," Lance chuckled. "I was so exhausted I forgot to feed him."

Despite Keith having so much fun with Lance and the cat, he knew he had to go back to Shiro's at some point, just to let him know that he was alright. After Keith helped Lance clean up, he gathered his clothes and changed in the bathroom, before picking up his phone and messaging Shiro.

"So, ice cream?" Lance asked from the couch. 

"Ice cream tomorrow, maybe," Keith smiled awkwardly. "Uh, I kind of have to go back to Shiro's."

"That's alright," Lance nodded, his smile wavering at the sound of Keith's text-tone. "You've been good company, though. Wash that makeup off before it clogs your pores, emo boy."

Keith snorted as he checked his texts, and once he was confident that Shiro was waiting outside, he approached Lance's door and waited for some sort of goodbye. Lance smiled at him fondly and gave his tousled hair a little ruffle.

"What'll it be?" he hummed. "A kiss? Hug? Both?"

"Both would be good."

It was as if Lance knew all along, hugging him as gently as he could and only pressing the softest of kisses to his lips. He almost told him on the spot, right there and then, but the voice in his head stopped him, almost punishing him.

"Bye," Lance chuckled as Keith waved to Caspian, earning a little mewl in return.

"I'll see you later," Keith sighed. "I'll let you know about ice cream."

"Sure thing."

The walk out of his apartment wasn't as solemn as he thought it'd be. He left with a warm feeling in his heart; though, he couldn't help but think that he was forgetting something. His phone was in his pocket. He was wearing  _his_ clothes. 

After sitting in the passenger seat of Shiro's car, he clipped in his seatbelt, and they were off down the road.

"Was it fun?" Shiro asked. 

"You sound like my mom," Keith groaned. "Yes, it was fun, I like his apartment."

"His apartment?" Shiro laughed. "Just his apartment?"

Keith rolled his eyes, completely silent on the way home, but feeling his heart sing after remembering everything he and Lance did. It was the start of something completely new, and he couldn't wait. Even if he had to get past Matt's pestering when he got back.

However, when it came to falling asleep later, Keith bolted upright in bed at the sudden realisation that he'd forgotten a special souvenir.

"I've lost him!" Keith huffed, knowing he shouldn't be so upset about something so small. He turned over cushions, looked behind the couch, even under his bed. "I can't find him anywhere."

Lance was going to be fuming. He spent  _money_ on that single shark and Keith was going to get the blame. He always did.

"Can't find what?" Matt yawned from the couch.

"Charlie." Keith murmured. "He's a little leopard shark I got from the aquarium, Lance bought it for me."

"I haven't seen any of the sorts."

It was then when Keith had to admit it to Lance. His fingers trembled as he sent the message, only to be sent a photo back of Caspian lying next to the same shark he was worrying about.

 **Lance** ; 9:03pm  
 _you silly, he's right here, i'll return him tomorrow_

Keith collapsed on his mattress and sighed heavily in relief. He was so lucky to have Lance.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's warm at the beach! Shiro sets a deadline.

Keith was woken up by Shiro far too early, which he wasn't quite pleased about.

He hadn't showered, which meant that the makeup was still clogging his pores, as Lance had said, and overall making him feel like he had a layer of grime plastered over his face. Before Shiro could protest any longer, he beelined to the shower with a towel, and began scrubbing every single inch of his body.

Keith had to be careful in certain areas. His torso still ached with bruising in a few places, though they were clearing up quickly. His eye, however, was still scarlet red, a mottled patch just beneath it, evidence of something Keith wished he could forget.

Those were battle wounds, and they'd disappear someday. All he could do was wait and see, and just hope that anything like that doesn't happen again.

His mind wandered, thinking about the day before; Lance, his rescue cat Caspian, his beach view apartment. Everything seemed like a luxury. It was as if the grass was greener on the other side, and Keith couldn't wait to finally get there and settle. The bridge, however, was something that he was yet to cross, to conquer all his anxieties, fears, anything else that rattled about in his head.

He had to separate the good from the bad, and what caused enjoyable experiences to go wrong.

For example, when he kissed Lance, it was something that made him feel warmer, happier, and overall allowed him to climb over another obstacle to trust Lance. The bad part was the fear of him getting too hands-on, and rushing in, fearing that he had no way out.

Just the thought had his heart hammering, so he reconsidered the idea.

Lance's apartment was safe. He was just afraid of Lance lifting the pyjama shirt and discovering all the marks beneath, or that Keith had very little sexual experience; apparently giving oral was another thing Keith was awful at. His previous partner didn't care much about Keith's own needs.

It wasn't like he was repulsed. Keith wanted to enjoy sex and everything that came along with it. College was for experimenting and he can't remember if the guys he was with at the time approved of his skills or not, but he didn't care. They were way beyond what he could manage to remember.

Perhaps Lance had experience and he'd be willing to teach Keith some elements of  _that_ , too, which would make the situation a lot more enjoyable. Besides, Lance adored taking his time and always seemed to apologise if he thought he did something out of Keith's comfort zone.

Which he hadn't. Keith just wished he hadn't ruined things by shoving Lance out of the way when he grew hard.

He snorted to himself and washed the shampoo from his hair. He'll get there, just not right now. He had to tell Lance everything first, whenever the hell that was going to be.

After he showered, Keith threw on an outfit and walked to the kitchen to sit at the island table, before taking his phone out of his pocket and humming to the radio Shiro had playing on the counter. Matt wasn't around.

"Lance texted me yesterday." Shiro began. Keith scrolled through the messages he woke up to, feeling his heart sing.

"Mm." Keith nodded.

 **Lance** ; 9:37am  
 _make sure you pick up charlie later!!! i have too many sharks in my room_

 **Keith** ; 9:38am  
 _you can never have too many sharks in your room, you love them too much_

 **Lance** ; 9:40am  
 _that's true!!_

 **Lance** ; 9:40am  
 _but you have to pick him up, he's yours, and i don't want caspian tearing him to itty bitty sad shark pieces_

"He said that you pushed him away," Shiro said, sitting beside Keith and pushing a plate of pancakes to the middle of the table. "Why?"

Keith swallowed and instinctively put his phone face-down. "Why do you need to know?"

"I'm just wondering." Shiro shrugged. "What're you hiding on your phone?"

That phrase was one of many that sent horrible chills down Keith's spine, and suddenly he felt as if he had to defend himself all over again.

"N-Nothing," he murmured, slowly turning over his phone, screen facing up. "Sorry."

Realisation dawned upon Shiro. "No, I'm sorry, that sounded kind of bad to me."

"'s'okay."

They sat in silence, and Keith only decided to tell him after he had his glass of water and wolfed down his breakfast, despite his stomach stirring anxiously. Shiro had to know, because after all, it was him that saved his skin so many times previously.

"We kissed." Keith started. "A-And it was good, better than anything, but I just think I panicked when his hands were smoothing down my waist."

"Right." Shiro propped his head up with a hand. "You know Lance has had partners before, so he knows how it works."

"I kind of guessed," Keith shrugged. "He's good at kissing. He taught me."

Shiro's lips spread into a smile, his eyes twinkling in curiosity. "He taught you, huh? Were you comfortable enough to sleep with him?"

"Well," Keith snickered. "Not like  _that_ , but yeah, I guess so."

Shiro wore a proud smile, and Keith could already tell that he was improving. "You're doing really well, but you need to tell him. Maybe after the date today, alright? I didn't tell Lance all of it, but I'm letting you open up instead."

"Yeah." Keith swallowed. "Do I have to do it today?"

"It's ideal. You can always stay at Lance's for a few days or so if you feel more comfortable that way."

With a little smile, Keith nodded, and accepted the hug he was pulled into. "Thank you."

The beach was warmer than ever and Keith was slightly thankful that he wasn't wearing any black items that made him melt. Along with the makeup he wore, he also had a pair of sunglasses to cover up his injured eye. He wasn't going to let anything ruin this date. Not even the fear of finally telling Lance what went on.

They sat in a cozy ice-cream parlour that welcomed dogs and other pets, and Keith was already fawning over a soaked golden retriever who sat at his feet and licked his wrist. Lance laughed and reached over to pet the dog.

"He's just been in the ocean," the owner giggled. "He really loves people, he won't bite."

The dog was given a bowl of water and Keith watched as he cleaned it up in just a few gulps. He then looked back at his cone of cherry sorbet and licked up the ice cream that melted. He wasn't going to be suffering from sticky fingers when there was sand everywhere.

"So, Shiro said you could stay a few days," Lance began, sliding his glasses onto his head and pushing back his hair, revealing a widow's peak. "You okay with that?"

"Mhm," Keith nodded, fanning his face. "Can we get Caspian to come down?"

"Maybe later," Lance laughed. "He was meowing at the cat next door last night and didn't sleep, so he's currently napping in the beanbag."

All it took was one image of the cat comfortably engulfed in the beanbag by the window, and Keith was grinning.

They walked out of the parlour carrying their cones, took off their shoes and walked down the beach, feeling the warm sand beneath their feet. The sun was out, and with the lack of clouds in the clear-blue sky, the beach was popular, and Keith had to make sure he wasn't treading on any children in the meantime.

They found a spot in the sun, as well as their own umbrella, so Lance laid down a blanket and allowed Keith to sit first, finishing their cones promptly. The tide was still shallow, so they weren't leaving just yet.

"Psst, Keith."

Keith averted his gaze from a speedboat to Lance, who was laid down, beckoning him. "C'mere."

"It's too hot to get close," Keith snorted. "I'll melt if I lie on you."

What happened next, however, wasn't what Keith was expecting.

He was staring down at Lance's bare, honey-skinned chest, roaming his eyes over the subtle, sculpted muscle in his chest and abdomen. Keith wanted to do the same  _so badly_ —he was sweating beneath his shirt—but he couldn't, for obvious reasons.

"How about now?" Lance grinned, his blue Aviators catching the sun, the silver metal winking at Keith, enticing him to give in.

So he did, and skimmed his hand over Lance's warm skin, softly tickling his fingers over the curls trailing up his navel. He could stay like this all day, soaking in the rays of the sun, breathing in the sea air and Lance's homely musk. His fingers threaded through Keith's hair, sending delightful shivers rocketing through his spine, making him feel tingly from head to toe. He wanted to feel like that all the time.

"So," Keith began, trying to think of conversation, although their silences were far more comfortable, rather than awkward. "Why do you live so close to the beach? Do you just like the view?"

"I worked at the surfboard rental place before the aquarium," Lance hummed. "So I learned how to surf, did a little bit of swimming. I did some lifeguard training too."

"Why didn't you keep at it?" Keith asked. "You kinda have a lifeguard vibe."

Lance laughed. "I still have my red swim trunks if you want to see them."

Keith cocked a brow. Intriguing. He tried to replace the shorts Lance was wearing with them instead. He couldn't deny that it was a sight he wanted to see.

"But yeah," Lance shrugged. "I don't know. You needed a lot of training, some other duties on the side, and it meant that I couldn't have fun all day. The aquarium is the total opposite. I have fun all the time."

"I could tell," Keith hummed, nudging Lance's foot with his own, only to get it nudged back. He looked down to give it another nudge, before performing a double-take and shuffling down to inspect the tattoo on his foot. "What's this?"

"Are you admiring my ink?" Lance laughed, sitting up and brushing the sand from his toes. "It's a tortoise! I got it on Hunk's birthday. He opted for a jellyfish on his leg."

"Cute," Keith nodded, raising his glasses to inspect it more. "Did it hurt?"

"Yeah," Lance shrugged. "But it was worth it. I'd totally get another one."

Something dawned upon him, and he lifted his head to grin at Keith. "Shall we both get one? It can be your first tattoo! You could get it on your ribs or something—"

Keith quickly swatted Lance's eager hands away from his t-shirt, as much as the idea sounded appealing to him. Perhaps when his skin didn't feel so fragile.

"I don't know what I'd get," Keith laughed. "It'd hurt on the ribs though, right?"

"Perhaps." Lance shrugged. "But I could hold your hand! Or maybe you could get a piercing!"

Keith collapsed onto his back with a hearty laugh, bringing his hands behind his head and basking in the warm rays of the sun. Lance leaned down, and soon he was looking at his reflection in his reflective-blue Aviator lenses.

"You'd look good with a lip piercing," Lance nodded. "Snake bites."

"They take ages to heal," Keith snorted. "You won't get any kisses for months."

"Oh, that's true." Lance pouted, giving Keith's lips a little kiss, which he was prepared for. "Mm, are we dating, Keith?"

Keith shrugged. He thought so. "Yeah?" he laughed, propping himself up with an elbow. "We kissed? W-We practically made out on your bed last night—"

"Thought so," Lance chuckled. "Don't get nervous, it's just me."

Had Shiro told Lance anything else? Keith relaxed with a small sigh and kept looking at Lance.

"We'll take things as slow as you want," Lance smiled. "What'd you wanna do when you're over mine? I'm thinking we could go shopping. You look like you need a new wardrobe."

"I—" Keith couldn't argue. He really did. "Yeah, I'd like that."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance takes Keith shopping and he's spoiled rotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a little warning about panic/anxiety attacks! doesn't last long <3

Sleeping in Lance's bed was a luxury within itself that Keith couldn't compare to anything else.

He was surrounded by feelings of home and safety, along with the calm blue light that filtered in through the windows in the morning. He lived for it, and he'd stare at it for hours, while Lance slept soundly behind him, his arms loosely wrapped around Keith. Warmth began to manifest in his chest again, and he truly thought it could work out this time. After all, Keith didn't see any of the behaviours his past partner portrayed within Lance, so that was a plus.

He thoroughly enjoyed Lance's company and everything he did, including the way he was so gentle and allowed Keith to take his time to settle into the relationship. Part of him was suspicious that Lance was so sudden about his softness, but he dismissed that to the back of his mind. Shiro wouldn't tell Lance such a thing so soon; Keith trusted Shiro, of all people.

The door creaked open, and soon Caspian was sauntering over to the bed to leap up onto the sheets and curl up under Keith's arm. There was something so oddly comforting about the cat being there that Keith couldn't put his finger on.

He wiggled his index finger around, watching Caspian's pupils blow, his paws gently swatting at it. Keith could lay there for hours with him. He loved talking to Caspian too, even if he couldn't understand or talk back. That was probably the benefit.

Lance's arms stirred around Keith and he elicited a sleepy grunt next to his ear. His fingers crawled around his ribs, coaxing tired giggles out of Keith's mouth. It wasn't until Lance fully woke him up by attacking his stomach that Keith had burst into a fit of laughter, fighting him off with pawing hands and scaring off Caspian in the process.

"You're so mean!" Keith laughed, squirming underneath every single touch and flinching whenever Lance’s fingers caught a bruise. "I just got up! Caspian left the room because you're such a  _meanie_."

Lance settled back down with a little chuckle, playing with the buttons on Keith's pyjama shirt he borrowed.

"I really like your laugh," he hummed. "It's so bubbly. You should laugh more often."

Keith protested with a quiet  _'noo'_ but his cheeks flushed anyway, shivering in delight at Lance's delicate fingers. He'd began to realise that Lance made him well and truly happy, and he didn't have to second-guess it this time.

His stomach growled, luring an amused little chuckle out of Lance.

"Hungry?" he asked, grinning up at Keith. "I'll take you to a Starbucks or a Cinnabon or something for breakfast if you really want, we're going shopping today, remember?"

Keith was elated to know that he was spending more than just a couple of days in the safety of Lance's apartment, and hanging around with him until Shiro reminded him of the deadline he'd set. Keith's heart sunk at the thought, but he quickly shook those thoughts free and curled up against Lance instead.

"Don't spend too much money on me," Keith murmured. "I don't want you to go into debt because of me."

Lance laughed heartily and got out of bed after giving Keith's forehead a kiss. "I won't go into debt, sweets, it's just a few gifts."

 _A few gifts_ would turn into a whole goody bag and Keith couldn't deny it, he'd never had such an experience before because his money was usually taken from him. Instead, Lance was treating him in any which way he can, and he started by throwing an outfit towards Keith and letting him change in the bathroom.

"You don't have to be scared about getting naked in front of me, y'know," Lance snorted. 

Keith knew, and he would, but not now.

After feeding the cat, Keith walked out to Lance's car and sat in the passenger seat, already adoring the plush seats and the coconut air freshener that hung from the rear-view mirror. Lance slid his Aviators onto his nose with a smile and drove off, holding Keith's hand securely all the way.

"You shake an awful lot when we hold hands," he pointed out, adjusting the volume of the stereo. "Did you want to let go?"

Keith hadn't noticed that before, but he shook his head. "No, I like holding your hand. I didn't know I shook."

Lance shrugged, and Keith became paranoid about it. Did he shake that much? Was that just a natural human thing? Nevertheless, he wasn't going to make his anxiousness ruin his day. He even felt excited the moment Lance turned into the parking lot of the mall and stopped the car.

"And here we are," Lance grinned, placing his Aviators onto his head and grabbing his wallet. "Where'd you wanna go first?"

"Oh, uh," Keith was taken by surprise. "I-I don't know."

"Let's get something to eat first."

Keith had never felt his heart pound as happy as it did when he strolled through the mall with Lance, hand-in-hand, ignoring the stares and the whispers that seemed louder than they actually were. It couldn't have been his bruises, they were still covered up for a day or so, hopefully.

 _Hopefully_. That was one word that kept reeling through Keith's mind.

"You're cool with pet names, right?" Lance asked, sitting down opposite Keith in a Starbucks overlooking a fountain outside. It was so miraculously sunny and warm, Keith was almost tempted to forget about his inhibitions and run straight to the sea to bask in its cool, refreshing glory. "I called you 'sweets' this morning and you didn't react."

"Was I supposed to?" Keith murmured, feeling his heart pound. "P-Pet names are fine, I didn't realise I was supposed to react—"

"No, no! Don't worry!" Lance laughed reassuringly, reaching forward to hold Keith's hand, cold from holding his iced tea. "I meant that you didn't seem bothered. I don't wanna overstep boundaries here, man, I'll do whatever makes you comfy."

Keith exhaled slowly, and took a long sip from his drink. "Okay."

The first places they tackled were clothing stores, where Keith hauled around outfits Lance had picked out for him, only to be cheered on and encouraged the moment he stepped out of the changing room. He felt so confident with new clothes, and couldn't stop beaming when he left the store.

In fact, even when Lance asked him where he wanted to go next, Keith was practically dragging him everywhere, hearing him laugh at his enthusiasm.

"Slow down!" Lance chortled, watching Keith rifle through the collection of bath bombs in the middle of  _Lush_. "Do you even have a bath at home?"

"Yeah," Keith replied. Lance picked up a face mask tub and grinned.

"Did you want a pamper night?" he beamed. "You have to have those pores unclogged after wearing all that makeup, Keith, I'm not letting your face go unclean."

Keith snorted. As much as it sounded appealing, he'd have to take off his only means of security and reveal every single negative thing to Lance, which isn't what he wanted to do just yet, despite Shiro's advice. He knew Shiro meant well, he just wanted to take his time.

Their final destination was a jewellery store, where Lance wanted to go. Keith's arms ached by the time he'd finished shopping and now he couldn't wait to rest them when he got back home.

It wasn't  _home_. He didn't live there, but it felt warm enough in his heart to call it home.

He watched as Lance browsed through multiple charm bracelets and rings. Keith never saw him as someone so fond of sparkly things, but he didn't seem to hang around that section for more than a minute. Instead, he switched to the side with the less-flashy products and remained there instead. Many of them were made from different materials, like coral or gemstones, but Lance was particularly fond of a half black, half blue one.

While Lance made his decision, Keith loitered around the back of the store looking at his birthstone and matching it to the variety of accessories that came with it. He'd always been fond of opal in rings.

He turned back to see Lance stood in a queue, and practically sighed in relief, until something else caught his eye.

And when his gaze laid upon it, his blood ran ice-cold, and instead of his brain choosing fight or flight, he froze to the floor.

The person he was looking at was glaring right back at him. Darkly. The same look he received before getting hit, or yelled at, or  _worse_ , and suddenly Keith wanted to leave the store and never, ever go out again.

He dashed to Lance in an instant, feeling his heart hammer irregularly against his chest as he watched him take out his card and pay for whatever the hell was in the bag. They had to leave,  _now_. Keith could feel his palms getting clammier by the second.

"C'mon," he huffed. "L-Lance, we have to go—"

"Hang on, hotshot," Lance hummed, thanking the cashier. "Why? Why've we gotta go?"

"I—" Keith swallowed, feeling his ex's eyes pierce the back of his skull. "I don't feel well."

Lance seemed to follow Keith's nervous, darting gaze to who or what he was looking at, before Keith's pounding heart couldn't take it any more, and he bolted it out of the store without warning.

He'd built himself up to finally be comfortable going out in public and being safe around Lance only to bump into his previous partner, and there were so many emotions running through his mind that all Keith wanted to do was go to sleep.

"Hey, hey, Keith," Lance frowned, purely in concern. He went to place a hand on Keith's shoulder which was promptly pushed off. "You look so pale, what is it? Who were you looking at?"

"Nobody, I—" Keith panted, clutching at his collar. "Lance, I want to go home."

Even when he finally made it to Lance's house, he took a long shower to scrub everything off, feeling his ex's hands on him all over again, his glare, his merciless tone of voice; after showering, Keith even managed to upchuck his lunch and sit against the bathroom door in a towel, wanting to scream and yell and cry at the same time.

He'd have to explain it now, right? He'd have to go through all that all over again just to make sure Lance knew. He felt so sour about it.

"You've been in there for a while," Lance called. There was tapping on the bathroom door. "Are you okay?"

"I'm not ready," Keith replied, his voice weak.

"Someone wants to see you."

After a couple of minutes of letting the horrible tapping grind his brain, Keith opened the door to see Caspian, who wandered in and sat beside him, mewling loudly. He wound in and out of Keith's legs, marking him generously, and kneading the portion of his thigh uncovered by the towel, his wide, blue eyes focused on Keith's dewy ones the entire time.

Keith was already fed up of feeling so much dread. His stomach was sore, his throat burned, and he couldn't even deny it to Lance since he'd scrubbed his face raw.

Whatever. If Lance didn't like it, he could always organise another blind date courtesy of Shiro or stay inside and never have a relationship ever again.

Lance was still waiting outside, but Keith still felt way too awful to face him. He'd ruined the day for the both of them. Caspian crawled up and began purring on Keith's lap in concern, the rumbles low and loud, still maintaining eye-contact.

"What am I gonna do?" he murmured, his fingers delicately stroking Caspian's flicking ears. "You didn't have to tell him a thing, did you?"

Keith's hair was still sopping wet, and he shuddered as droplets of water ran down his spine uncomfortably. He had to emerge from the bathroom soon in case Lance was demanding. Keith had to wash the taste of vomit out of his mouth, anyway, and there weren't any glasses around. He'd calmed down, thankfully.

Soon, Caspian began to scratch at the door, wanting out. He had to tell Lance sooner or later, and Shiro wasn't going to be happy if Keith came back with the intention of keeping his secret forever.

So, when Caspian wandered out, Keith followed with the towel covering the majority of his body. He didn't even have a chance to change with Lance sat on the bed, a look of concern contorting his face when Keith finally appeared. He bit his lip, eyes roaming Keith's body hesitantly.

"Come here." Lance murmured, crossing his legs and gripping his ankles. "Talk to me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [check out the bracelet ;0](https://www.lotusnaturals.ca/products/lava-rock-bracelets-with-rainflower/)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith lets it out. Lance is great at comfort.

Keith's heart hammered so hard in his chest, it was almost painful.

He felt so exposed even though he already wore a pair of briefs and was covered in a towel, about to be dropped just to show Lance the evidence of what he went through. He felt like he had to, and yet, he wasn't ready at the same time.

The look on Lance's face hurt. It was as if Keith had told him something unbearable, but luckily for him, that was yet to come. His blue eyes, once bright with happiness, were dark and sullen with sorrow, searching Keith's for an answer. It was as if he was waiting for Keith to let it out, for him to finally be comfortable, and Keith knew this. He just had to tell him all of it first.

"What's wrong?" Lance murmured. His gaze was set on Keith's eye. The bruise was probably the least of his concerns. "What made you freak out? I've never seen you act like that, Keith."

Keith hugged his torso and swallowed hard. Everything was flooding back. The tears. The distrust. The pain. The amount of times he had to apologise because he constantly felt like he was under supervision  _all the time_ and had no chance to rest. 

And finally he could. He just had to tell him.

"My ex." Keith muttered, his voice croaky. "He, um— h-he—"

Lance opened his arms, which Keith wasn't expecting at all. He let the towel drop from his body as he practically collapsed into Lance's arms, feeling the hurt wash over him in a crashing tidal wave and finally, he was sobbing almost violently in the comfort of Lance's chest. His fingernails dug into his shirt, twisting the fabric tightly as he felt the horrible touches roam over his body again, left there by his ex, the ghost of every shove and grab burned his skin and he tried so hard to replace them with Lance's.

"It's okay," Lance whispered, holding him just as closely, which Keith was grateful for. "Did he hurt you?"

Keith nodded solemnly. There was no way he'd lift his head just yet. Crying in front of anyone, let alone Lance, was a feat in itself.

"Badly," Keith hiccuped. "I just want to heal, and it's so fucking hard— he, he was an asshole Lance, and I was so scared—!"

"Go on, shh," Lance gently smoothed his hand over Keith's bare back, soaking in the warmth of his skin as he comforted him. "Why are you scared?"

"Of you finding out," Keith swallowed. "A-And the fact that you'd hate me or the fact that I was just a  _leftover_ or someone's toy, or the fact that you'd treat me the same and I  _know_ you wouldn't, I-I was scared every single day of my life, Lance, I was always doing something wrong and I couldn't get away from it, no matter how hard I tried—!"

He felt Lance clutch him that little bit tighter, coddling him protectively. He'd never spoken about it in so much detail before. His throat was cried raw and he felt awful trying to relive it all just to tell Lance. Just a few minutes more. He could do it.

"What'd he do?" Lance murmured, his voice soft. "You don't have to tell me, Keith, but just in case I mimic his tone of voice or something."

Keith thought about that thoroughly as he hiccuped into Lance's neck. It was all or nothing.

"I had a curfew," Keith began. "And I couldn't go anywhere without his permission. If I came back just a few minutes late, he'd take my wallet, or my phone. Then he just— he began to hit me and scold me— until one day I think I stepped too far out of line and he punched me."

Lance's face fell, and he frowned darkly. He cupped Keith's cheeks to keep eye-contact, closely inspecting the bruise on his eye, the scratches on his neck, anything else he could find. Needless to say, Keith had never seen such a calm, content person turn so angry in such a short space of time.

"I'm sorry," Keith swallowed, raising a hand to wipe his tears. "He only cared about what he wanted too, I gained no satisfaction. I'm not even financially stable any more."

Lance had grown oddly quiet, and Keith began to try to search his eyes instead this time. Was that okay? Was Lance going to accept that?

"I'll beat him up, buttercup," Lance murmured. "I'm not even kidding. I'm going to be the best fucking boyfriend you've ever hoped for and more. I'm gonna make you my prince, understand? You deserve nothing but the best and I want to give you all of it."

"You can't beat him up," Keith smirked, laughing quietly through tears. It was as if a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and now he couldn't wait to tell Shiro.

"I will, though," Lance caressed Keith's wet cheek with a thumb, a playful smile stretching his lips. "Just say the word, buddy. I'm so angry at him, but I'm so proud of you for telling me."

"You think so?" Keith sniffed. "I-I'm not, I'm not gross or anything?"

"'Course not," Lance giggled, his touches suddenly gentle as he pulled Keith into another tight hug. "Y'know, it may not be as bad as you, but I used to have girlfriends that would dig their fingernails into whatever body part was closest, and scratch,  _hard_ , if I didn't give them what they wanted."

"God," Keith frowned. "What did they want?"

"Money, mostly," Lance's warm smile fell. He then tugged down a sleeve of his shirt and turned his body around, letting Keith see the four scars running down the back of his bicep. A couple more sank into his nape. "But they're gone bothering some other poor guy. Or at least, bothering no-one.

"But, hey," Lance continued, his smile perking back up. "Tonight's for you. You can model your clothes and we can order takeout and I'll let you brush your teeth."

Keith laughed ashamedly. "Sorry."

When he finished cleaning his teeth and gargling at least four cups of mouthwash, Keith was welcomed back into the bedroom with a large sweater and a pair of Lance's fluffy bed socks, which he was sure Lance didn't own in the first place, but he accepted them gratefully anyway. After his hair dried, he threw it up into a loose ponytail and met Lance on the couch, curling up next to him and pulling the sweater over his knees.

He finally felt a little safer, knowing that Lance made sure he was comfortable at all times. Sure, he didn't actually know whether or not Lance meant it when he said he'd beat him up. He'd get his karma anyway. Keith was sure.

"You look comfortable," Lance grinned. "I like your ponytail, mullet."

Keith pouted and watched Caspian wander in, leaping onto the coffee table and pushing the TV remote onto the floor. With a little snort, Keith beckoned him over and let him curl up in his lap, finally feeling a little more content.

"I want you to know," Lance began, "that I love you, okay? Genuinely. And if there's anything I do that reminds you of that fucknugget, you gotta tell me."

_I love you, okay?_

Keith's heart fluttered. He settled further into the comfort of Lance's embrace and sighed. "Yeah, I-I love you too."

Lance smiled, and held up his pinkie finger. "Promise you'll tell me."

Keith looked at it and frowned, before pressing a kiss to the tip of it.

"No, no," Lance laughed. "You gotta link it. It's a pinkie promise."

"Why the pinkie?" Keith murmured, but he linked it anyway, and felt his cheeks flush when Lance lifted their fingers to his lips and kissed them. "What're we eating tonight? Can we have pizza?"

The evening was just as great as Keith thought it would be, only much cosier. He didn't feel so nauseous wrapped up in Lance's arms any more, and knowing that he still loved him just as much as he did before, warmed his heart. He still felt cautious with his bruises and Lance was careful about every single touch, ensuring he wasn't hurting Keith unintentionally.

He put on his new clothes and modelled them at midnight to the music playing through Lance's speaker, appreciating the little cheers and whistles he gave, applauding whenever he put on a new outfit.

"You have to stop cheering," Keith snickered. "Your neighbours will be so annoyed."

"So?" Lance grinned. "You look great! And I want to make sure you know it!"

Keith folded up his sweater, turning his back to Lance as he picked his next outfit. However, when the feeling of warm lips against his spine surprised him, he stopped in his tracks entirely.

Lance was kissing his bruises, even though they were almost totally faded. His arms wrapped around his waist, and Keith turned, watching his nose nuzzle his stomach, just above his bellybutton. 

"So warm," Lance sighed, opening one eye to look up at Keith. "You hid all this underneath and it's gorgeous. You're so broad and handsome and—  _fuck_."

"Shut up," Keith murmured, his speech lilting when he smiled at the end. His fingers threaded through Lance's soft, mahogany locks, tousling them slightly. "'s just a little muscle."

"A  _little?_ Keith," Lance whined, pressing a kiss to Keith's navel and letting him sit down. He raised a hand to wipe the pizza sauce from the corner of Keith's lips before tenderly kissing his cheek. "You're buff and it's unfair."

"I'm not  _buff_ ," Keith laughed, hitting Lance playfully. He felt him bury his nose into the nape of his neck and hug him tighter. "You're very soft."

"I am," Lance murmured, trailing gentle kisses down Keith's spine. "Wanna kiss you all over. My kisses are magic, y'know, they heal bruises."

Keith smirked. "Do they now?"

"Yeah." Lance hummed. "Will you lie down for me?"

They were magic in their own little way, and Keith let them trail all over his sensitive skin, around his bruises and scars and everything else he loathed. Lance brought up Keith's hand and kissed his palm, his knuckles, his fingertips, and they never broke eye-contact. Not even once. He felt safe like this, and even when Lance was done they didn't want to lose contact, and Keith really appreciated the skin-on-skin sensation, the warmth seeping through his touch-starved body as Lance held him closer.

"Are you okay now?" Lance asked. His music still played gently in the background. "Do you feel better telling me?"

Keith nodded, his lips brushing Lance's jugular. "'Course I do," he muttered. "'m'really grateful for you."

He felt like he could conquer the world with Lance at his side and finally confront everything he was afraid of.

"Does it feel any different being around me?" Lance whispered.

"Yeah." Keith replied.

"How so?"

"You feel like home, I guess," Keith murmured, shifting to find more of Lance's glorious, comforting warmth. "It's like you're my shield. I can do things now that I couldn't have done before."

Lance smiled, and Keith could see the tiredness in his eyes. And then, as if he'd forgotten something, he reached into the bag on the floor and pulled out a black velvet box, sitting perfectly in the palm of his hand.

"I got you this," Lance murmured, and lifted the lid.

It was the same bracelet he was fawning over in the jewellers', half of the beads were volcanic rock, the other half was firey reds and gorgeous blues, meeting together in the middle with a small gemstone. Opal, Keith guessed.

"For me?" Keith's eyes widened as Lance pushed it onto his wrist. "Lance, you didn't have to."

"I wanted to," Lance smiled. "Do you like it? Shiro told me your birthday and I had to do something."

"I do," Keith held his wrist up and curled back into Lance's embrace again. "Thank you."

"It's okay—"

"No, really," Keith murmured. "Thank you for being so accepting and, and nice, you're so,  _so_ much better than he was. I can't even compare you to anything."

Lance smiled fondly, before pressing a kiss to Keith's forehead. He truly meant it, and it was about time he thanked Lance for being the gentle, patient sweetheart that he was. His arms pulled Keith even closer. Neither of them wanted to move at that point.

"You're welcome," Lance whispered. "G'night, sleep well, hotshot."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith experiments with intimate touch.

There were a few things Keith definitely felt better about. One of them was finally opening up to Lance and giving him little encouragements whenever he was doing something he particularly liked, such as asking for small gestures like cuddles, even if consent for that wasn't  _really_ needed. Keith had grown so accustomed to watching Lance get up and make breakfast, he didn't even wake up early in a panic anymore, and decided to sleep in purely because he felt content.

There were some things Keith still had to conquer, and even if Lance was there and he'd told him everything, there were still obstacles he had to conquer on his own, like his anxiousness and recognising his limits. He'd made a little chart in his mind detailing his boundaries.

On the imaginary left side, there were things he was alright with. That included holding hands, cuddles, letting Lance massage him or touch him in general. And even if those things were proven to be overwhelming sometimes, he was learning how to reassure himself that Lance  _was_ an object of safety in his mind and there was no way he could be like his ex. Little by little was his motto.

On the imaginary right side were obstacles that Keith wasn't sure about yet. They were intimate, and Keith wanted to do them, but sometimes his mind didn't match his body's needs and he'd be stuck in a limbo of answering  _yes_ or  _no_ to Lance's gentle touches, even if they meant well. 

Slowly but surely, Keith was going to solve some of his own problems, and he was prepared not to solve all of them. In fact, walking around the apartment complex to help Lance with his groceries on his own was a feat in itself, and he'd reward that with some ice cream found in Lance's freezer.

The three days he was supposed to remain at Lance's apartment had been and gone, and Shiro took this as a positive thing. If Keith was happier in this environment, of course he could stay, but he was always welcome back at his apartment just in case.

Those 'just in case' times were rare, and it usually consisted of Keith sitting in the beanbag beside the large window, watching the waves roll in against the white sand, curled up in a blanket with Caspian sleeping in his lap for comfort. Those periods wouldn't last long, and he always had peace and quiet. Lance was considerate and only called him if he truly needed him. Keith was grateful for that.

One thing Keith was fond of was when Lance would come home from work carrying a small bag, and he'd end up carrying a tiny shark or some other aquatic animal, intended to be a stress ball, but Keith felt bad creasing it when he squeezed it. Instead, he found comfort running his fingers over the fins and gills, which was grounding.

But overall, Keith was comfortable. He was happy.

His bruises had begun to fade and Lance made sure they were doing so in the correct way. Keith couldn't help but feel warm whenever Lance checked his skin over, ensuring that no other harm had been done.

Now, he was sitting on the couch waving a feather to entice Caspian as Lance organised the pizza they'd ordered. He  _was_ planning to cook for Keith, but there were several ingredients he was missing, and it was already late, so they decided to order.

"Did you want to try tonight?" Lance asked, carrying the food into the living room and slumping onto the couch one he'd placed it on the coffee table. "Y'know. Just getting used to other touches? Things like that?"

Keith leaned into Lance's side and pulled his sweater sleeves over his knuckles. "I think so."

"Only if you're ready, of course," Lance smiled. "And you don't even need to get bare, either, I'll take my time. We'll use the traffic lights."

"The—" Keith frowned. "The what?"

"The traffic light system?" Lance cocked a brow and reached for a slice of pizza. "Red, amber, green. Red for no, amber for maybe, green for yes. Or we can put our own meanings on it instead."

Keith thought this through. If he hadn't gotten used to intimacy and communication, this was going to be a good way to introduce him to it. He was so eager to have fun and feel good but his brain wanted otherwise, and that kind of pissed him off.

"Yeah," Keith nodded. "I want to try that."

"And we don't have to use it in the bedroom, either— i-if you wanted to go that far, of course!" Lance saved himself with an awkward smile, wiping sauce from the corner of his lips. "But I'm just suggesting it. It might help you."

"I guess so," Keith hummed, chewing a mouthful. "But I don't want to ruin stuff by declining all the time."

"Nah." Lance smiled, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "You don't. I'm ready when you're ready, hotshot."

They didn't discuss it any more for the sake of watching their movie, which was well overdue, and allowed Caspian to have a well-deserved nap. Keith felt a little more ready, perhaps even  _excited_ to start, because he was in control this time and for the most part, he felt unstoppable.

The pizza boxes were cleared away. Outside, the sun had set, and the sky was clear, moonlight peeping through the crack of the ceiling-to-floor curtains. And Keith was absorbed in the warmth of Lance's skin, feeling his careful fingers brush through his hair and lightly tickle the nape of his neck, luring small giggles out of him.

"Colour?" Lance asked.

"What—?" Keith murmured, before realisation took hold. "Oh. Green, I think."

Lance laid down and beckoned Keith, patting his chest. "Colour?"

"Green." Keith was starting to smile as he laid down and rested his head upon Lance's chest. His cheeks were cupped, and Keith was looking at those bright eyes again. His heart fluttered.

"Colour?" Lance whispered, his lips slowly forming a pucker.

"Green."

And they finished with a deep kiss, leaving Keith feeling accomplished. Lance kept his hands on his cheeks loosely, and only moved them when Keith relaxed and let his lips collide with Lance's a little more passionately.

"Colour?" Lance murmured, his hands placed between Keith's shoulder blades.

"Green."

From then on, Lance didn't have to ask. He'd always pause and Keith would sense the sudden stop, before answering with a colour, confidently and with ease. Kissing was much easier, and Keith only felt unsure when Lance's hands found the bruised area of his ribs.

"A-Amber," he swallowed, wanting his lips on his again. Lance stopped.

"What's up, buttercup?" he asked. "Too low?"

"No, you're just on bruises," Keith chuckled lowly. "Just move your hand a little. You can go lower."

"I need a colour, Keith."

Keith huffed, grateful that Lance wanted confirmation no matter what. "Green."

His palms were on Keith's backside, fitting perfectly against the curve of it, and Lance even slid his hands into the back pockets of his jeans to pull him closer. That was nice.

Keith eventually raised his hands and slid them beneath Lance's shirt to feel the warmth of his skin beneath, smiling at the giggles coaxed out of Lance at the slight chill of his hands. Still, Lance's hands remained in Keith's pockets, until further instruction.

Lance's lips were velvet, and Keith wanted more. His hips wriggled upwards to claim Lance in more kisses but he broke free instead, a small gasp escaping his lips.

Keith swallowed. "You okay? I didn't hurt you or anything, did I? I'm sorry—"

"No, no, not at all," Lance let out a huffy laugh. "I don't think you meant to but you kinda rutted into me a little."

"Oh." Keith smirked, looking down and adjusting his hips. Part of it was exciting, and he wanted to do that again. "Did you want me to keep going?"

"What's your colour?"

"Green." Keith murmured. He was in control. Lance wasn't holding him down, and he could switch colours anytime. 

"Okay." Lance smiled.

Keith was the one to initiate the grinding, and he couldn't help but laugh into the kiss when they made it competitive, trying to buck their hips hardest and almost causing him to fall off the couch. They settled, and Keith allowed Lance's tongue through, which was certainly different.

He melted. He became a puddle instantly. The gentle stimulation on his touch-starved, sensitive skin was enough for him to gasp now and again. He let his hips stall to experiment with pace, feeling the zipper on Lance's jeans glide past his crotch and hit where he felt it the most, and let out a quiet, whispered moan in Lance's neck.

"Colour?" Lance whispered.

"G-Green," Keith panted.

As his hips rutted against Lance, the hands in his pockets seemed to push Keith's down slightly, aiding him to hit the right spot. He could feel Lance hardening by the second, and part of him found it endearing, wanting to make Lance feel good at the same time, but another part wasn't so sure.

Keith muttered a small  _'amber'_ and Lance ceased, lifting his head.

"Did you want to go further?" Keith murmured. "You're hard too and you probably want more, right?"

"I don't want anything you're not happy with," Lance replied. "I mean, yeah, but it'll go in a few minutes, you know how boners work."

Keith snorted, letting out a little chuckle when Lance kissed his cheek. "So you want to keep going? I'm green."

After Lance nodded, Keith continued rolling his hips, finding the right angle, and his limbs were jelly all over again. If Lance was content doing this for a few minutes, Keith was too, even when he had to stifle the quiet moans that escaped his lips.

Most of their time wasn't even spent kissing—it was Lance wanting to watch Keith's face contort and feel him gasp in his neck, giving him tiny praises, which Keith was particularly fond of. He was doing well and that was a factor that definitely mattered.

And within minutes, Keith was close, feeling his entire body quiver against Lance's as his cheeks and ear were kissed lovingly, adoring how the contours of their body fit together  _just right_ and moved in a way that made them feel so spectacular—

A mewl emanated from the kitchen, and Lance groaned. Keith knelt up and saw Caspian stood at his bowl.

"Gotta feed the cat," Lance breathed. Keith pouted.

He decided to crash in his bedroom and cover his arousal with Lance's sheets when he was comfortable. He groaned. This was going to ache all night.

However, Keith felt a little proud for getting that far. He'd ache for a little while, but it was worth it. 

Lance came back and was beside Keith in bed in no time, pressing gentle kisses to his cheek and forehead. "I'm proud," he hummed. "We can try again, unless you're desperate now and you want me to help."

Keith actually considered it, but he didn't want to go through all the fuss again and realise that he didn't feel keen. So, he curled into Lance's embrace and nestled his nose into his neck.

"'s'okay," he yawned. "It'll go down, I know how boners work."

Lance laughed. "How dare you flip that back onto me."

Keith grinned and let his eyes droop closed, eventually relaxing in Lance's arms. What he didn't notice, however, was the lack of touch on his back, where Lance's hands  _should_ be.

He frowned and looked up. "What's—?"

"Colour?" Lance hummed. Keith rolled his eyes with a tired smile and settled once more.

"Green," he whispered, and fell asleep to Lance's fingers combing his hair.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith finally feels the pleasure he's been aching for.

Despite his efforts to get comfortable, Keith kept tossing and turning in his sleep, and the reason wasn't  _particularly_ negative.

He'd been restless the moment he and Lance went to bed, caught up in his own libido at the thought of coming undone on top of Lance, hearing him moan and feeling him quiver as their hips rutted together. Keith hadn't had that experience before, nor the gentleness and love behind it, and suddenly he wanted to try again.

He had slept the majority of the night, but in irregular, broken intervals, and now it was almost three in the morning. He was wide awake, staring at the ceiling, stained a pale blue from the moonlight streaming through the curtains.

And then he was absorbed by the thought of Lance's shocking blue eyes again. The same ones that were lidded and slightly lustrous,  _wanting_ to go further but offering patience for Keith's sake. That smirk he gave him, too. Keith's heart was pounding all over again and he turned over, wanting to get closer to his boyfriend, but there was one problem.

Lance had gotten up because the cat was scratching at the door, so the bed felt empty without him. His sheets and pillow still had his scent embedded into the fabric, however, so Keith rolled over and buried his nose into them, inhaling deeply. 

Lance's scent was incomparable. It was rich with musk and cologne, along with homely hints of fabric softener, candles, and clean cat fur. He loved nestling his nose into Lance's neck to get that same very scent, and adoring it even more after he shaved and went through his skincare routine, just to catch the smell of citrus and aftershave.

Keith groaned into the pillow, feeling the throb between his legs become ruthless. This was only making him feel worse but he didn't care, he was sleep deprived and aroused and all he wanted to do was wrap himself up in everything  _Lance_ and do whatever he wanted. He wanted to ask about trying again, about possibly going  _further_ , and—

Now he was just getting excited and Lance still hadn't come back yet.

When he finally did, though, Keith was pouting at the ceiling because words weren't forming in his mouth any more. He didn't want to bother Lance either, especially so late at night, but he could tell the contort of Keith's face was anything but content. He got back into bed and wrapped an arm around Keith, before placing a kiss upon his forehead.

"What's wrong? Nightmare?" he asked. Keith shook his head. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? Too hot? Cold?"

"No," Keith hummed, biting his lip as Lance delicately trailed his fingers down his spine, coaxing shivers out of him. "Mmh..."

"Okay." Lance whispered. "I'm not really that tired either, so did you want to go on a walk or something?"

Keith frowned and pouted slightly, clinging onto Lance as he hid his face in his chest. He didn't know how to ask. He was considering giving up if Lance didn't get the hint; Keith wanted to do  _anything_ but go on a walk right now, especially at this time. Lance pulled him in closer and settled upon Keith's chest instead, but he made a mistake once he lifted a leg and settled it upon Keith, brushing the swell in his groin with his knee.

"We could—  _oh,"_ Lance muttered, glancing up at Keith, whose cheeks were now flushing brightly, a delicate pink blooming onto his pale skin. "Is this why you can't sleep, tiger?"

His voice was raspy from sleep and Keith had given up and succumbed to his arousal because of it. He wasn't sure if the darkness was playing a part, but he was sure Lance was smirking at him.

"Shut up," Keith murmured, turning his face away. "Can't stop thinking about what we did. I've never had that before, a-and I kind of just— just wanted to do it again."

"Why didn't you say so when we were about to sleep?" Lance laughed quietly, lovingly nuzzling the top of Keith's head. "It's okay, I understand; did you want to start now or in the morning?"

"I might lose it in the morning," Keith whispered. "Can we— Can I kiss you for a little bit?"

"Sure."

Keith's eyes slid shut, partly from tiredness, as he moved closer and kissed his boyfriend deeply. He sighed happily, feeling Lance manoeuvre on top of him, and that's when Keith froze, unable to say or predict what was going to happen next.

Lance seemed to notice. "You okay? Are you sure you want this?"

"I-I want to be above you," Keith swallowed. "Sorry, um— I'd like to have a sense of control..."

"That's alright, don't worry 'bout it," Lance smiled reassuringly and laid upon his back, patting his chest. "C'mere and give me a colour."

Hesitantly, Keith crawled over and made himself comfortable between Lance's legs again, adoring the skin-on-skin contact. It was warm and soft, letting Keith find comfort as he whispered a small  _"green"_ and proceeded to allow their lips to meet, before he relaxed.

Simultaneously, his mind was  _reeling_. He wanted to go further, let Lance make love to him like he'd previously wanted and thought about without the anxiety. His ex  _never_ introduced this, it was always one-sided and quick, and lacked enjoyment on Keith's side—

_Why was he thinking about his ex?_

All he ever wanted was right here.

Lance's legs spread wider for Keith to manoeuvre easier, giving him some wiggle room to roll and rut his hips for his enjoyment. Within minutes, Lance was playfully rutting back and coaxing huffy little giggles out of Keith as he pawed at his chest. He could see the happiness glinting in Lance's eyes, smiling up at Keith as his hands cupped his backside.

"What did you wanna start with, softie?" Lance grinned at Keith's pout. "Have you done this before?"

"Um," Keith propped himself up. He could feel Lance throbbing hotly against him, even through their briefs, and that secretly drove him crazy. "Not really. I've given but I haven't received."

"I see." Lance nodded. "When's the last time you felt relief?"

"I—" Keith frowned. "I don't know."

"Alright." Lance looked deep in thought. "Okay. I'm gonna use my hands on you only. You'll have all the control. We'll stop at anytime if you call red. Does that sound good?"

Keith took a deep breath and sat back up. "Y-Yeah. I think so."

"Sit against my chest, between my legs," Lance instructed, and Keith did so, resting his head back against his shoulder. "Just in case you hit your head if you throw it back."

Keith couldn't see his face, which was slightly disappointing, but he reached for Lance's free hand and held it instead, interlocking his fingers together. Lance's other hand palmed Keith through his briefs, gently at first, listening to his quiet gasps.

Lance's body felt so warm against his. His chin was propped upon Keith's right shoulder, looking down to watch where his hand went. Keith quivered, not purely out of nervousness, but out of anticipation, while Lance placed delicate kisses upon Keith's neck. Those felt particularly nice. He let himself shiver and relax against Lance.

"Is this good so far?" Lance whispered. Keith nodded. "You're really warm. Still smell like pizza."

"Shut up," Keith muttered, but he couldn't stop his cheeks from growing pinker. 

"Can I move my hand underneath and take these off?" Lance asked, waiting for Keith to nod. "Okay."

With a little lift and a slight wriggle of his hips, Keith let his briefs sit beside him as Lance's hand slowly rubbed and caressed the inside of his thighs. He could feel Lance smile, which he was slightly embarrassed about.

"Why are you smiling?" Keith murmured, biting his lip. He'd gotten this far. This was good. He was doing alright. He let out a few soft giggles as Lance tickled his sensitive thighs. "Mmm, Lance!"

"You're just cute," Lance cooed, his fingers trailing over the dark trail of hair upon Keith's navel. "You're kinda pink and eager and I can't wait to make you feel good."

Keith smirked, rolling his eyes bashfully. "Shhh, 'm'not pink."

"You  _so_ are," Lance giggled. "Can I mark your neck a little? Would you like me to touch you now?"

Keith nodded to both of those and shuddered once Lance's warm hand cupped and stroked him. Everything was slow, just how Keith expected it to be, and his heart couldn't stop fluttering with how gentle Lance was being. He really was trying to be careful, and as Keith watched, with lidded eyes, how Lance handled him, he realised how important it was to take things slow.

He wasn't in a rush, and he knew he could call red anytime. It felt too good so far, however. 

He felt the skin of his neck get suckled and bitten at, which tickled, and he let out a few quiet giggles as Lance attempted to mark him. Those were bruises he didn't have to cover up this time.

"Mmh..." Keith breathed. "C-Can you go faster? Just a little..."

"Anything you want."

Keith bucked his hips into Lance's hand and squeezed his other one tightly as he let out low moans and broken gasps. This pace was  _perfect_ , making Keith's breath hitch every time Lance's thumb rubbed the flushing, pink tip of his cock.

"You sound so good," Lance praised. "You're doing so well, sweetheart. How does it feel?"

 _Fantastic_ was all Keith wanted to say, but all he could respond with was a whimper of pleasure that came out as a high-pitched growl, rumbling from the back of his throat, which Lance laughed at.

"Okay, tiger," he smiled.

Keith's fingers curled in the sheets as his other hand tightly gripped Lance's free one. He writhed against him, throwing his head back against Lance's shoulder and letting his hips roll and buck into his hand, his breathing sharp and ragged.

"I have an idea," Lance hummed. "I'm gonna let go and look for something, I'll continue, I promise."

Even when Lance was rummaging underneath his bed, he kept his fingers tightly intertwined with Keith's as he sat there, panting heavily. He missed Lance's touch already, his warm, gentle touch, the kind of touch that had him wanting more; if only he had the confidence to  _ask_ for more.

Lance then procured something from the box beneath his bed. It was a fleshlight, made of a clear material, that had Keith swallowing  _hard_.

"Don't worry, it's clean," Lance snorted, sitting back up and pulling Keith closer. He kissed the nape of his neck as he reached over for the lube in his nightstand, opened the cap, and hovered the bottle over Keith's dick. "I'm gonna put this on, it might be a little cold."

"'M'kay," Keith breathed, shivering as Lance applied it generously, and giving him a couple of strokes. This felt even more heavenly than before, which Keith wasn't sure was possible. He was comfortable and safe and felt  _amazing,_ despite his lack of sleep.

"Don't be afraid to use your words, okay?" Lance muttered reassuringly. "If you want faster, just say. I'm here to make you feel good, sweets."

"Okay," Keith nodded, and swallowed thickly before Lance lowered the toy onto him and slid it all the way down to the hilt.  _"Fuck..."_

He couldn't help but feel his cheeks heat up at the slick, filthy noises coming from the fleshlight. This felt much better than just a hand. The toy was flexible, more like a sleeve, allowing Lance to squeeze it to give Keith some friction. The inside was ribbed and wet and made Keith's legs quiver beyond belief.

"Good boy, just relax," Lance hummed. 

In fact, the one thought that kept him going was Lance using the toy himself. He groaned and let his eyes slide closed, feeling Lance stroke him quicker.

"Just a little faster," Keith breathed, tightly gripping Lance's hand. The pace increased and lured a moan out of Keith, loud and raspy, all while his body quivered with the intensity. "Y-Yeah—  _Lance,_ Lance, holy shit..."

He felt the same warmth fester in his abdomen as a few hours ago when they were on the couch, and Keith knew he wasn't going to last long. His skin was sensitive and he was so starved of this, aching for release and finally be comfortable enough to fall asleep.

"Are you close?" Lance whispered. Keith nodded shakily, letting out a whine as his hand almost crushed Lance's in his strong grip. "Come on, Keith, come for me. You can do it."

It was barely seconds after that when Keith's legs quaked  _hard_ , and his head fell back against Lance's shoulder, sharp pants escaping his lips as he mewled in ecstasy. He came with quick jerks of his hips, coating the toy and Lance's fingers through the small entrance at the top.

Eventually, his limbs fell lax, and he panted hard against Lance's chest. Lance only smiled and pressed a kiss to Keith's ear.

"Was that good?" he murmured. "Do you feel better?"

"Yeah," Keith heaved. "Thank you."

"Let's get you cleaned up."

He couldn't even stand to fetch himself some new underwear, so he watched Lance get up instead. He was in bed in seconds, and out like a light even faster, curled up happily in Lance's arms.

He was exhausted, but relieved, and he'd never felt so much love and pleasure in all his life. Yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the slow updates <3


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith goes shopping again with a familiar face.

Keith woke up to the smell of rich pancakes flooding his nostrils, and his stomach growled immediately, coaxing a small giggle from the boy next to him.

He was so comfortable. Not just physically, but mentally, too, and had no desire to do anything at all. He was content just like this, next to Lance, taking in the gorgeous smell of the breakfast he'd prepared just minutes ago. He was satisfied from last night, and still had that warmth festering in his chest, evidence of the homely feeling Lance had planted in there. It had grown until Keith felt warm all over, and now he was curled up to his boyfriend with a happy, sleepy smile stretching his lips.

However, Lance had gone to bed without satisfaction, making Keith feel bad for not acting upon it. He  _wanted_  to, but Lance was so set on making Keith feel good, he wasn't sure if he wanted it as well.

"Sorry." Keith muttered.

"Why are you saying sorry?" Lance chuckled softly, picking up his phone and checking the time. "You haven't done anything this morning except for turn over and nuzzle me, tiger."

"You only gave me satisfaction last night," Keith murmured, watching Lance sit on the edge of the bed. He crawled over and groaned, wanting him to stay, wrapping his arms around his waist persuasively and giving the small of his back a kiss. "'n I wanted you to feel it too, did you want anything?"

"Oh," Lance laughed, looking down. "What're you doing down there?"

"Don't want you to leave."

"I gotta work," Lance giggled, a playful grin plastering his face. "But no, it's totally okay. I got off more on the fact that you were having fun instead of you doing something to me. Besides, your sensitivity must be unbearable, so you have priority. I can calm down whenever, but you can't. You were tossing and turning."

"Yeah." Keith mumbled, his cheeks flushing. He looked up at Lance and rested his chin upon his soft thigh, giving that a kiss, too. "Thank you."

"That's okay, sweets," Lance winked, ruffling Keith's tousled bedhead and standing up to fetch his work clothes. "C'mon, babe, let go."

"You suck," Keith muttered, rolling onto his back and watching Lance get dressed.

Somehow, the domesticity of it all felt so comforting. It was as if Keith had known Lance for years, and Shiro had only set him up as part of a blind date, which Keith still felt weird about. Nonetheless, he adored Lance to pieces, and he was so,  _so_  happy that he felt the same way.

Despite his past, he was on a journey to get better. Lance couldn't be his antidote or his therapist or his key to get better, but he was there for support, and slowly but surely, Keith was going to be alright.

Lance fetched a pair of black jeans from his closet and his ironed work shirt. Keith watched in the mirror as his head lolled back against the edge of the bed, adoring Lance's slender physique even from being upside-down. He fetched a pair of grey underwear, accentuating his toned figure nicely, before applying deodorant, pulling on his clothes, doing whatever contributed to his morning routine.

Even in his aquarium shirt getup, Keith still found him gorgeous. Lance must've noticed Keith watching him because his gaze averted in the mirror, and he glanced down, smiling affectionately.

"I have work until four," Lance hummed, kneeling down and cupping Keith's cheeks. "All the blood will rush to your head like this and you'll regret it standing up."

"Nah," Keith grinned lazily, but the throb his head was providing didn't seem positive.

"I'll ask for you at the aquarium to see if they'll get you a job," Lance muttered. "I'll give you a spare key so you can get out. What do you want for dinner later?"

"Don't mind," Keith murmured. Lance leaned in and kissed his soft lips, letting him smell the cologne he'd just rubbed behind his ears.

"I'll think," Lance replied, his lips quirking into a half-smile. "Have a good day, call me if you need anything. You won't be bothering me."

"Okay."

Keith rolled over and sat up, albeit a little too quickly, and held his head as the giddiness made him fall backwards into the sheets again. Lance laughed, giving him a look that clearly said  _I told you so_.

"See ya, champ."

"Bye."

Keith was tossed a key and Lance walked through the door, leaving him alone in his apartment.

He bundled himself up in Lance's sheets and took over his side of the bed, wondering how on Earth he managed to get so lucky. He must still be in his afterglow, because he'd never felt so happy and carefree before.

He had new clothes to put on, a shower to take with new soaps, and pancakes to eat that Lance had made to perfection in the kitchen. He had to thank Shiro. Was it Shiro that made him fall in love, though?

Keith thought the emotions happened on his part, and Shiro just made it happen.

While he neatly made Lance's bed, Keith called him and put him on speaker, feeling slightly relieved to hear his voice after so long.

"If it isn't you," Shiro joked affectionately. "How've you been?"

"Good," Keith replied, rifling through his bags of new clothes to find a pair of jeans. He stole one of Lance's sweaters from his closet. "I told Lance about everything."

"You did?" Shiro said. "That's a big feat. I'm proud of you. And he's alright?"

"Yeah." Keith smiled, holding out two sweaters in front of him, clearly a little too big for him. "He's really trying to help. He knows he can't make everything go away, but we've experimented, tried different things, gone out together. It only happened after I saw my ex in the mall."

"Oh." Shiro muttered. "Are you okay? Did he say anything to you?"

"No, just glared at me," Keith replied. "But things happened, and I just ended up letting it all out."

"I'm glad you're okay, though." Shiro said. "Is Lance there?"

"He just went to work."

Shiro laughed. "Okay. Did you want to go to the mall with me? Or somewhere? You'll be alone all day."

Keith thought about it. While he had more fun going around the mall with Lance, he knew Shiro had a different kind of mindset, and with Keith wanting to try new things, he could possibly ask Shiro for help. Keith wanted to give Lance satisfaction, even if it was in little steps at a time. He could do it.

"Okay. I have to eat breakfast and Lance took his car."

"I'll pick you up."

And that was that, for the most part.

Keith took a shower promptly and found Lance's hairdryer, giving his hair a quick blast and brushing it through. He stood at the mirror when he was done and pulled down the top of Lance's sweater to see the deep, scarlet hickeys peeping out. He could almost feel the ghost of Lance's lips there, kissing him tenderly, treating him like a King.

With his heart still fluttering, he walked out with the memories of the night before lingering in his mind. He filled the cat's bowl with kibble before settling down to eat the breakfast prepared for him. It was still as breathtaking as ever, making his taste-buds eager for every single bite. Caspian hopped onto the counter after he ate, and Keith greeted him with a gentle scratch behind the ears.

"I'm going out," he said, finishing his last mouthful and checking to see if Caspian had enough water. "Behave, don't rip up the curtains."

Shiro arrived moments later and Keith made sure to lock the door after he walked out. He was excited to see him after so long, but also happy that he didn't really need to depend on Shiro's hospitality any more. Lance was going to get him a job at the aquarium and that already seemed exciting.

The moment Keith sat in the passenger seat, Shiro whistled, grinning at the marks upon his pale neck.

"Little love bites," Shiro chuckled. "You look a lot better since I last saw you. You're glowing."

"Glowing?" Keith smirked, pulling on his seat belt. "Didn't know that was a term."

"With happiness, I mean," Shiro replied, beginning to drive down the road. "I can tell you're happier. You sounded happy on the phone. What did you two get up to?"

"Nothing," Keith looked out of the window, grinning so hard it hurt.

* * *

"So," Shiro began, watching as Keith walked through Calvin Klein holding a bag. "Why are we here?"

"I, um," Keith bit his lip. "I-I kind of want to  _impress_  Lance."

"Impress?" Shiro cocked a brow. With Keith's frustrated pout, he soon caught the gist. "Ah, and you wanna go here for it?"

Keith glanced up at Shiro. "Do you know any better?"

"How far are you willing to go?"

Keith didn't want to go overboard, which is why he didn't feel great walking into a lingerie store. He knew Shiro was trying to help somehow, but this wasn't going to go anywhere.

"I don't want to wear any of this," he mumbled. "I'm not going  _that_  far..."

Shiro noticed the grimace on Keith's face, and backed away slightly. "I'm sorry; but do you think you could follow me? And maybe you might change your mind?"

"Shiro."

"Please?"

With a loud, exasperated sigh, loud enough to make sure Shiro knew he was fed up, Keith followed him further into the store until they found more innocent items, and suddenly, Keith didn't feel so awkward.

"The underwear is nicer," Shiro pointed out. "And so are the socks. I wasn't going to make you wear a full set of lingerie when just these will do. It's Matt's killer instincts."

Keith snorted. "Wow."

"You bet."

Shiro wandered off to give Keith some time to decide, which he was grateful for. What was Lance's favourite colour? Animal? Shape?

He was wasting far too much time on trying to pick something intricate when really, Lance didn't seem to care. Part of Keith  _wanted_  to look good, and try and initiate some sort of reaction out of him, but his eyes were locked on a pair of simple white thigh-highs, finished with a couple of blue stripes at the top, hoping they'd accentuate his legs a little.

Maybe he didn't need them. They looked comfortable, and simple, and if that's all it took to make Lance smile, maybe it was worth it.

Keith took the socks bashfully and immediately skittered back to Shiro. It was small, but it meant a lot, and that was all that mattered.

"Those ones?" Shiro asked, taking the socks from Keith and walking to the counter. Keith felt bad for not offering to pay, but Shiro was very insistent on money, and very hard to persuade.

Lunch involved walking to the food court and Keith feeling comfortable in Lance's sweater. At least now he had something to look forward to, and he didn't have to be  _completely_  bare in bed, which was definitely a plus. It all felt playful now, and eased Keith into the better side of getting intimate; there were so many warm emotions flooding his body the night before and he wanted to experience them again.

Shiro seemed proud of him, and it left a happy bubbly feeling in his stomach. He  _was_  much better than before, and he had so many scenarios and so much experience to prove it.

After they'd finished eating and Shiro rifled through his purchases, Keith felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and his heart raced when he saw Lance's name flash upon the screen.

 **Lance ;** 2:32pm  
 _booked a table for 6! you said you didn't mind so i'm taking you out! see you back at home!_

"What're you smiling at?" Shiro asked.

"Nothing." Keith replied, hiding his pink cheeks with a sleeve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> went on a mental health hiatus; sorry for late updates!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance takes Keith on a special little date.

From the moment Lance came through the door, Keith's heart was racing. 

He'd been anticipating this since he arrived home and Shiro dropped him off; he just hoped the socks would suffice for everything they'd done, and even if nothing was going to happen tonight, that was fine. This night was for them and only them, and Keith  _knew_ Lance would stop something in a heartbeat if he discovered something wasn't quite what it seemed. It made Keith feel safe somehow, and he'd been waiting for that warm, calm feeling in his chest to remain there for a while now.

And finally, it had. Slowly. But it was there all the same.

"How was your day?" Lance asked, changing out of his work shirt and passing Keith a bag. "I got you something to wear for tonight."

Keith took the bag with a small smile and glanced up at Lance's reflection, who was smiling right back at him. "It was good," he began, "Shiro took me shopping because we hadn't seen each other in a while. He's happy for both of us."

"Are you upset that you don't see him a lot? Am I keeping him from you?" Lance asked, turning around with his arms in his shirt sleeves, leaving his toned torso on show. "Tell me if I do, sweets."

"You don't," Keith laughed. "It's alright, I like hanging with both of you. But of course with you it's more romantic. That makes sense, right?"

"I getcha," Lance grinned. "Put your shirt on, man."

Keith pulled out a deep-purple button-down and a pair of ripped jeans, something Lance would've worn, but he loved it all the same. He got dressed promptly, his mind racing with every single possibility that had the chance of happening that night. Lance was taking him out to dinner and that was exciting in itself. Where were they going? What would they eat? _Would Lance even care about the socks?_

Keith tried his best not to turn those thoughts into anxieties as he pulled on his shoes and slipped on his bracelet. Lance wandered into the kitchen to feed Caspian before they left, and Keith ensured that his socks were hidden for later use. Then, after Lance grabbed his keys and said goodbye to the cat, they both walked out to the car.

The sky was painted with beautiful pinks and comforting oranges, the scent of the warm night air filling Keith's nostrils. He could pick up the faint aroma of the sea, the concrete of the road, and the damp grass beside him. Soon, he was inhaling the sweet leather of the seats of Lance's car, his cologne, and the homely scent of fabric softener and Lance's own musk.

"Where are we going?" Keith questioned, allowing Lance to take his hand as they drove. "Don't say it's too expensive."

"Nah," Lance smiled. "It's not expensive but it's not cheap. It's a slightly-expensive bowling alley that serves hot wings and lets you make your own sundae. I go there sometimes with my friends, but I haven't been there for a while, so I thought I'd take you."

Keith looked out of the window and watched the cars next to them rush by, his attempt futile when trying to hide his eager smile. "Sounds great."

"And today they'll have the blacklights set up after ten," Lance hummed. "You'll get glow sticks and everything will be great. Believe me."

"I believe you," Keith smirked. "Are you good at bowling, then? Are you taking me just so I can kick your ass?"

"No," Lance laughed. "Maybe. I just want you to have fun."

Soon enough, they'd arrived, and Keith kicked off his boots and replaced them with a pair of bowling shoes. He slid along with Lance across the tacky, brightly-coloured carpet, past the arcade and towards their booth, before sitting down with giddy smiles.

The atmosphere was fantastic. The sound of bowling balls striking the pins rose nostalgia within Keith, and he watched eagerly, waiting for their lane to be open. It wasn't quite ten o'clock, so he was prepared to eat and relax, before beating Lance's ass and having a go at the arcade. The alley also seemed to have a ticket system, and the prizes were obviously appealing to little kids, but Keith couldn't help but stare at the pack of glow-in-the-dark body paints that were worth at least fifty tickets.

Children had left the bowling alley, leaving the arcade almost bare. The lights were bright and colourful, reflecting off the glass cages of the claw machines.

"So," Lance started, picking up a menu and leaning in excitedly. "Do you like it here so far? You haven't said a word yet, you must be speechless with the amount of awe running through you right now."

Keith smirked. "Yeah, I haven't been to this one before. I like it."

"That's great!" Lance smiled. "What did you want to share? They do sharing platters for anything you want. Can I challenge you to eat as many hot wings as possible?"

Keith cocked a brow. This was turning into a playful rivalry, which meant the date was going spectacular already, and now he couldn't  _wait_ to start bowling.

"It's on."

Keith watched a naughty twinkle shine in Lance's eyes as he waved over the waiter and ordered. Afterwards, he leaned over and held Keith's hands, giving them a gentle squeeze.

"So, bets," Lance grinned. "What've I gotta do if I lose?"

"Maybe we should think about that when we get there," Keith laughed. "We have the arcade to play around in. There are so many things for you to lose at, you know that?"

"How dare you!" Lance gasped, letting a little giggle escape his lips. "I'm an expert at the claw machine. I'll win you something later."

"How romantic." Keith smirked.

The food arrived moments later and they both thanked the waiter. Keith picked up his glass of lemonade and sipped through the straw, watching Lance organise their food and steal an onion ring from Keith's side. He smirked in response and stole one of Lance's.

"It's only fair," Keith grinned. "So, hot wings?"

"Yup," Lance nodded. "You have to eat as many as possible. No drinking."

And thus, Keith began, clearly overestimating his experience with spicy food in the past, and forgetting the time where Matt made him eat a jalapeno pepper as part of a dare because  _everyone_ was doing it, even Shiro.

He managed to get three wings down before he was wiping the sweat off his brow and fanning his mouth. There was no way he could win this, and Lance was smirking at him, despite the sheen of sweat glistening on his forehead. He could only manage one more before his mouth was on fire, and took a small sip of his lemonade to calm down—which only made it hurt a little more.

"God," Keith coughed, picking up a handful of fries and eating them instead. "You're gonna kill me."

"I win." Lance breathed, fanning his tongue. "Fifth time running."

"You're ridiculous," Keith smirked.

When Keith was no longer gasping for water, they finished their food and waited until ten to find their open lane. Since nothing else was going on, they left their drinks at the booth and walked towards the arcade.

Well, with the advantage of bowling shoes, they slid over to the claw machine.

Keith eyed the plush toys within it and pointed to a purple hippo. "I want that one," he grinned. "It looks huggable."

"The hippo?" Lance quirked a brow and fished out some coins from his pocket. "I would've thought you wanted the little bunny, but okay. Huggable hippo it is."

Lance got to work immediately, sticking out his tongue in pure determination as he controlled the claw around the cage. Once it was lined up with the hippo, Keith grabbed Lance's shoulder eagerly as he slammed the button, watching the claw descend.

The claw extended, clutched the hippo, and raised it upwards.

"C'mon," Lance frowned. "Just a little more."

Keith's heart pounded in excitement. He thought it was impossible to win claw machine games.

Then, as soon as they were sure the plush toy was going to make it, it fell out of the claw and the machine gave out a sad tone, obviously mocking Lance's efforts.

"No!" Lance pouted, reaching into his pocket.

"Come on," Keith sighed. "You know they make these things hard for a reason. It's okay."

"I'm not leaving until I win this for you," Lance murmured, slotting his coins into the machine and wrapping his fingers around the joystick. "Stand back."

Keith smirked, watching as Lance grabbed the hippo again and dropped it into the prize box with ease. He knelt down with a proud, triumphant smile and gave the hippo to Keith, who definitely couldn't decline.

"Thank you," he murmured, and had his cheek kissed, before Lance pulled him over to their lane.

They made sure to grab their drinks before anything started. The staff were already handing out glowsticks and UV-activated body paint, and soon, Lance was painting neon-pink cat whiskers onto Keith's face.

"I better look like the coolest cat alive," Keith chuckled, cracking his glowsticks and wrapping them around his wrists. Lance painted the same design onto his own cheeks. "You ready to be beat?"

"Nah," Lance winked, slotting his fingers into a ball and waiting for the music to blare. The lights dimmed, the people around them grew louder, and Keith watched Lance step up to the lane, stance at the ready. "It'll be you kissing my ass, Keith!"

"I'd like to bet!" Keith snorted.

Lance threw the ball and struck six pins, leaving the rest of them in an unfortunate split. The next time Keith saw his face, it was contorted into a frown, and he couldn't help but laugh at a grumpy, glow-in-the-dark cat face.

"Poor kitty," Keith teased. "Get another ball, hurry up."

"I am!" Lance smirked. "I'm beating you anyway."

"I haven't even played yet!"

When it was finally Keith's turn, he was fortunate enough to score a spare, leaving Lance groaning in the background as he glanced at the scoreboard above. 

"I thought we were betting," Lance said. "If you lose, you're cleaning up Caspian's kitty litter for two weeks."

"Not that I do anyway," Keith smirked, suddenly thinking of the socks back home. "I have a different situation for you."

They crossed paths as Keith sat down, and Lance dipped his head to plant a kiss upon Keith's lips. "Yeah? What is it?"

"It's a secret."

Of course, Keith thought of something else just in case he needed a plan B—like offering to pay for Lance's ice cream—but part of him couldn't wait to see the look on Lance's face when he slipped those socks on.

Rounds after rounds of playing and dancing to the music pounding in their ears, Keith won with a total of three strikes and a handful of spares, which he was impressed about. Lance blamed it on the ball and his shoes, which wasn't surprising, but it made Keith laugh nonetheless.

Once their game was over, Keith looped his arms around Lance's neck and grinned triumphantly, raising himself on his tip-toes to give his velvet lips a kiss.

"I win," he hummed. "Now it's my turn to treat you."

Lance raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

Now, Keith wasn't intending to get nervous, but he hadn't fully explained it all, even on the drive home. He was still anticipating Lance's reaction after he left him with a little grin back at the bowling alley, and now he'd told him to wait in the living room while he pulled on the socks.

Was this even a good idea any more? Keith hoped so. He didn't want to suddenly seem stupid and—

"What're those...?" Lance murmured, clearly getting impatient when Keith noticed him at the doorway. "You look adorable, what the fuck, why?"

"I got them today," Keith swallowed, kicking his legs off the bed. "Thought you might wanna— y'know, after the date."

"Oh," Lance smiled, kicking off his shoes and sitting next to Keith, claiming his lips in a gentle kiss. "You wanna start now? I love the socks, I'm glad you thought of me, hotshot."

Nervousness bubbled up in Keith's stomach already as he clambered onto Lance's lap and gripped his shoulders, nodding confidently. They both still wore their glowsticks and the paint upon their faces, but neither of them cared.

"I'm keeping the colour system," Lance murmured, smoothing his hands over Keith's warm, exposed thighs. "And you promise to tell me whenever you feel uncomfortable?"

Keith nestled his nose into the crook of Lance's neck and sighed happily. He trusted Lance. He  _loved_ Lance, and he knew he was going to be in total control, no matter what.

"I promise," Keith muttered, and melted into the kiss Lance pulled him into.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith becomes more relaxed than ever.

Lance was being so, so gentle and cautious, it almost made Keith feel like his skin was made of delicate glass. His fingers traced over the exposed skin of his thighs, hooking his fingertips beneath the hem of his socks and tugging playfully at them, all while his velvet lips mouthed the soft skin of his neck.

Keith's heart pounded out of a blend of sheer excitement and nervousness. This was going alright, and after kicking off his jeans not so long ago, he wouldn't have to go through the embarrassing hassle of removing them. And with Lance taking his time, ghosting his fingers over the waistband of his briefs, Keith felt as if they had all the time in the world to get to know each other's bodies all over again.

He felt safe. The relaxed smile dancing upon Lance's lips only made Keith feel like he belonged there, wrapped up in Lance's careful arms and being delicately smothered in gentle kisses.

It was almost as if Lance was mapping out Keith's body with his hands, memorising every freckle and scar, replacing the bad touches with much, much better ones. Every single bump and ridge of muscle, every contour— _everywhere_ ; Lance loved it all and he was eager to worship every inch of him, even if it took him forever. Keith watched as his hands pushed underneath his shirt, exposing the little happy trail of curls Lance seemed to be so fond of, feeling his thumbs brush over it and coax a small laugh out of Keith.

"Good," Lance smiled, pressing a kiss to Keith's forehead. "Are you relaxed? Want me to slow down?"

"No, no," Keith breathed, his heart pounding in anticipation as the buttons on his shirt were slowly being tugged apart. "I'm good, it's okay."

After giving him a reassuring smile, Lance continued, and Keith lifted his torso to shrug off the shirt he was wearing, before welcoming Lance's warm touches again. His eyelashes fluttered, and he let out a happy sigh as Lance's lips met his neck again, delicately marking (and re-marking) his neck and shoulders, simultaneously riddling his fingers over his ribs to lure more giggles out of Keith. And sure enough, it worked, leaving Keith feeling as if he were on cloud nine already.

"Stop," Keith groaned, albeit playfully as he leaned into Lance's hands. "'M'ticklish, you know this."

"I do," Lance hummed, watching Keith's smile grow. "You make me feel really warm inside, y'know? I've never seen anyone look at me like that before."

"Like what?" Keith asked, his eyes never leaving Lance's as a finger drew a long line from his sternum to his navel, enough to tickle him, making him squirm.

"Like— I don't know," Lance laughed, a little nervous, it seemed. Was he nervous? Boy, Keith was having a field day at this point. His cheeks were blooming a bright pink, too. "You look like a little kid when he sees the waiter bring his dessert to the table."

Keith laughed. "Really? God, Lance—"

"And the dessert is a hot chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream that makes him feel all warm and gooey afterwards," Lance continued, nestling his nose into Keith's neck and sighing. "And you do that to me, too."

Keith couldn't help but roll his eyes, knowing Lance was  _sappy_ and hopelessly in love simultaneously, but it was adorable, despite the unique comparison. It made sense, though. Keith was almost impressed.

"You have  _such_ a way with words," Keith smirked. "Does that mean you're the hot chocolate brownie and ice cream?"

"I think I'd be served with cream instead," Lance knelt up and riddled his fingers over Keith's stomach. "I'd be more of a luxury, then."

"But what if I want ice cream with my brownie?" Keith grinned. 

"Because, tiger," Lance chuckled. "You don't like vanilla and I know that."

"Touché."

Next, it was Lance who threw off his shirt and kicked off his jeans, before running a hand through his hair; he was going to be the death of Keith someday. He looked up at his boyfriend, his eyes roaming his toned body, his pearly-white smile, the bright-blue pair of briefs that matched his eyes so hilariously well. As Keith's gaze moved, darting from one sweet piece of eye-candy to another, it caught a few stretch marks reaching over Lance's thighs and peeping underneath his briefs.

Since Keith's heart was still singing after feeling Lance's hands and lips on his relaxed body, he realised Lance would love the same thing, too.

"Can you lie down? Where I am right now?" Keith asked, sitting up and shuffling out the way. Lance proceeded with a nod. "I wanna see if I can make you feel special too."

"You already do," Lance giggled, lying back and reaching his hands behind his head, looking up at Keith with a smile.

From this angle, Keith could see all of him, and he took him in slowly, memorising every inch of his body just like Lance did. He roamed his hands over his warm, tan skin, letting his fingers brush over his nipples, feeling his gaze on him at all times. Keith leaned forward and attempted to mark up his neck, feeling Lance bare it for ease of access before he went to town, claiming him in colours of deep purple and scarlet.

He could feel his chest rise and fall from there, hear every relaxed, calm breath that fluttered by his ear and ghosted past his skin, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Then, when he found the area where Lance applied his cologne, he nestled his nose in and sighed happily. Skin-on-skin contact was beginning to be one of Keith's favourite things. It was something about the warmth and intimacy of it, and how Lance laid there and smiled, letting Keith explore him without being able to move an inch.

In fact, Keith was so comfortable there, he could feel his eyelids drooping.

"Keith?" Lance murmured. "If you don't want to do this—"

"No, it's okay," Keith yawned, huffing out a little laugh. "Just comfortable."

Lance smiled in response, and Keith shimmied down in between his legs, finding the pale stretch marks and brushing his fingers over them delicately, humming to himself.

"Oh, you found those," Lance laughed, but Keith could hear the uncertainty within it. "They're, um—"

"They're tiger stripes," Keith glanced up at Lance, running his lips along them simultaneously. "Don't worry, I love them. I promise I do."

"Tiger stripes." Lance smirked. "You're sweet."

Keith finally let his lips brush over the soft skin of Lance's thighs, kissing them tenderly. Eventually, he reached the blue hem of his briefs, and glanced at Lance as if asking for permission.

"If you want to," Lance stretched his arms above his head and hummed. "Go ahead. This is your time."

With his fingers curled over the waistband, Keith tugged them away and tossed them to the floor, before turning around and noticing how Lance's cheeks and chest were flushed, and his gaze dropped to—

"Oh." Keith bit his lip, crawling closer and wrapping his hand around Lance's cock, stroking him slowly.

"'Oh?'" Lance laughed timidly, his hips rutting slightly at the new touch. "Why 'oh?'"

"Just—" Keith rolled his eyes and smirked, before finally facing Lance and giving him an exasperated huff. "Y-You're good, okay? Better than good. You're great. Fantastic."

"You can just say 'big'—"

"Don't wanna fuel your ego," Keith grinned. Lance mocked offence and gasped, but Keith already knew he was far beyond his confident facade. It was dissipating, and now he couldn't wait to hear what he sounded like instead.

"How could you," Lance smirked. "I— I took you out tonight to something that  _you_ won, and you stood there and rubbed it in my face with your pink cat whiskers - which are still on your face, by the way - and after—  _Oh, fuck..."_

Keith had experimented with every new technique he learned on the spot, twisting his hand just right, when he knew his tongue would provide a lot more. He lapped at Lance slowly, rolling his tongue over his leaking head before sinking his lips onto him, never taking his eyes off of Lance's lidded ones.

His hands were still behind his head. Keith had all the control he could ask for.

"I finally shut you up," Keith laughed, drawing a long, wet line with his tongue on the underside of Lance's dick. "You sound really pretty."

Lance bit his lip and smiled lazily, letting out a low moan at the feeling of Keith's warm mouth. Despite being slightly inexperienced, Keith was determined to make this spectacular, or at least, make Lance feel good. He wasn't under any pressure, apart from wanting to be  _good_.

Lance's silence, apart from the ragged breaths and short moans, was slightly discouraging, however. Keith began trying to push his limits and sinking lower before Lance put a hand to his cheek. 

"Hey, hey, whoa," he breathed. "Take your time, you don't even have to do me first, don't push yourself."

"You weren't making any noise, so I thought I wasn't doing great," Keith laughed anxiously, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry."

"Don't be, sweets," Lance smiled. "You were doing great, I just don't like my own noises."

"Why not?" Keith asked, clambering onto Lance and straddling his waist.  _Actually, from there..._

He began rolling his hips into Lance, starting slow at first, earning enough friction for the both of them to quiver. Keith could tell Lance was trying his hardest not to make a sound.

"Will you moan for me?" Keith asked, his voice hushed as he leaned down and captured Lance's lips in a kiss, the rocking of his hips getting a little more vigorous. Lance let out a gasp, moaning lowly near Keith's ear, his eyes slowly sliding shut. "That's it, that's good— you sound really good, Lance."

Keith let out ragged breaths of his own, his thighs quivering around Lance's body as the friction of his briefs against his skin drove him wild. It wasn't long before he climbed off, his body quaking, letting Lance take over from there.

"You just lie back," Lance smiled, his face flushed. "Are you still wanting me? Like,  _in_ you? Or—"

Keith nodded, lying against the soft sheets. Nothing was going to happen immediately; Keith was just eager, and he secretly longed for that delicious friction against him again. Lance reached into his nightstand and pulled out a bottle of lube and applying a generous amount to his index finger.

"Can I take these off, tiger?" he asked, tapping the waistband of Keith's briefs. At his nod, they were pulled away and tossed to the floor. "Okay, you gotta tell me if this hurts."

"Okay."

Keith's thighs were spread, with Lance's left hand stroking him generously and his right gently rubbing against his rim. His slick finger teased him, the tip dipping inside and tracing circles around it. Keith couldn't believe how gentle he was being, and with Lance's hands on him like this, he truly did feel pampered. He let out quiet moans as Lance continued, before gasping at the next intrusion and feeling the drag of his finger slip inside.

"You okay?" Lance glanced up. "Colour, baby?"

"Green," Keith panted, feeling his finger thrust gently, curling against his inner walls and making his dick twitch.  _"Fuck."_

He seemed to be searching for something, by how his finger curled and brushed against him in a singular area. Keith laid there, his fingers twisting in the pillow beneath his head as he moaned; he was putting all of his hard-earned trust into Lance and his movements, wondering how this could get any better—

"Shit!" Keith gasped, his hips bucking against his will as Lance struck something inside. He whimpered as Lance desperately tried to find it again. "Mnh,  _please,_ again..."

"Shh, I got you," Lance purred, and Keith felt the chill of lubricant against his burning skin as Lance slipped in another finger. "Good boy, Keith. You're doing so well, not long now."

When Lance found it again, Keith was a shivering mess of quiet mewls and breathless moans, rocking his hips onto his fingers to draw him in deeper. Lance was trying his best to please him and prep him at the same time, but with Keith being impatient, it wasn't easy. His pleading eyes found their way into Lance's heart and almost tempted him to finish early, but that would have been disastrous.

"Just a little more, baby," Lance hummed, scissoring his fingers and adding a third once he knew Keith was ready. "Mmn, you like that?"

Keith nodded. God, he was  _beyond_ cloud nine, feeling his head spin with bliss. Lance was being  _so_ gentle, despite his eagerness and the temptation to slam Lance back down onto the mattress and ride him into the sunset. He didn't want Keith to be hurt during this time.

"Colour?"

"Green."

Finally, when Lance was sure he was prepared, he took the lube and slicked himself up, before pushing inside, his eyes never leaving Keith's. 

And at that, Keith practically melted into the mattress, giving him a tired smile. He wasn't directly on top of him, or holding him down. He had room to move and talk and  _breathe_ ; it was almost perfect. Almost.

"Can you hold my hands?" Keith whispered, gasping as Lance finally reached the hilt, and remained there to let Keith adjust. He nodded, intertwining his slender fingers with Keith's trembling ones, but the only downfall was the feeling of having his wrists pinned down. "Wait— Could I have my hands on top of yours?"

Lance adjusted accordingly, having to dip down slightly to accommodate, but he earned a kiss from him regardless and couldn't help but smile at the sheer love that Lance had to offer. Keith wrapped his legs around him, pulling him closer, and giggling when Lance gave his neck a little nuzzle.

"You're such a  _softie_ , God..." Keith laughed, his eyes lidded as he leaned up and chased Lance's lips to kiss them. "You feel really good."

His pace was moderate. Not too slow, not too fast. It gave Keith time to keep up and tell Lance what was okay and what wasn't, and soon, he was letting Lance kiss every inch of his neck and buck his hips simultaneously, a combination that coaxed breathy, high-pitched whimpers out of Keith.

He'd been waiting for this. All this built-up tension and second-guessing his trust had melted away and he let himself enjoy this, enjoy what he and Lance had together. Now and then, Lance would trail his fingers over Keith's body, absorbing his warmth and telling him how gorgeous he is, how adorable he is, how  _precious_ he is, before Keith shut him up with kisses all over again to prevent embarrassment.

"You good?" Lance smiled, holding Keith's hips and gasping at every teasing clench. "You're doing that on purpose!"

"I'm good," Keith giggled, letting out a moan at Lance's accelerated pace. "That's— That's good..."

With Lance's hand stroking him simultaneously, the blend of pleasure was beginning to swell in his abdomen, and he knew that feeling. Lance's free hand smoothed over his stomach, his fingers riddling over his ribs again, luring breathless laughter out of him. The whiskers painted on his face only made it funnier, and Keith couldn't help but melt at the sight.

"Hey!" Keith breathed, his giggles bubbling past his lips. "I'm close, you idiot."

Lance smirked and gave his nose a kiss. "Me too, sweetheart. I'm only teasing."

Even after that, Keith didn't feel roughness or pain as Lance tried to reach the brink. Keith was always his priority, making sure he felt safe and cared for.

Within minutes, his back was arching, and Keith let out a gasp as he fell over the edge, shuddering and whimpering, coating Lance's knuckles and his own abdomen in white. 

"You can— _mmnh, fuck—_ inside, if you want," Keith panted, smiling up at Lance as he came down. His chest felt warm, full of love and trust, feeling his bond between Lance become stronger as he pulled him down for another kiss. Lance doesn't, though, and quickly snatches a tissue from his nightstand to clean Keith up when they're both done.

"I wanted you inside..." Keith whined.

"Not this time," Lance smiled, nuzzling Keith's neck, his breathing hot and heavy against his flushed skin. "Some other time if you want to, but I wanted this to be _your_ time. How do you feel?"

"Good," Keith yawned. "Tired. Sweaty. You're sticking to me."

"What a shame," Lance winked.

They both laid there, with Keith's arms wrapped around his boyfriend tightly, holding him as close as he could. He sighed happily and gave his soft, mahogany locks a nuzzle. He'd never felt so in love in his life,  _ever_ , and he couldn't thank Lance enough.

With so many emotions running through his head at once, Keith let tears fall as he clutched Lance even tighter. He felt as if he'd conquered so much.

"Hey," Lance frowned, glancing upwards. "You okay?"

Keith nodded, wiping his cheeks with the back of his hand and sniffling. "Yeah, just— h-happy, I guess."

Lance smiled, evidence of his exhaustion shown in his tired eyes. "You wanna go take a bath with your new soaps? Make this feeling last a little longer?"

"Yeah." Keith sniffed, smiling when Lance pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I'd like that."


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftercare bathtime. Keith is almost back on track.

Keith sighed contentedly from the doorway of the bathroom, slipping off his socks and kicking them to the side, watching Lance fill up the bath and sprinkle it with scented oil, adding a bath bomb and some bubbles, before he sat back and watched the water turn into a dusky violet. Lance intended to make their warm afterglow last longer, and Keith could still feel it, that homely, fuzzy sensation in his chest growing as he watched him. 

He'd never felt anything like it. And it scared him—he really  _was_ in love, and this  _was_ real, and suddenly he'd fallen for someone who loved him back just as much. That fear turned into trust, which Keith found very hard to do, and he still doubted himself at times, but as he glanced at Lance fetching fluffy towels and his speaker, all of those doubts dissipated into thin air like wispy clouds.

It smelled like citrus, and Keith was sure he could pick up tones of the ocean here and there. Lance even made the effort to light small candles, and when Keith turned off the light, he  _swore_ he could feel that warmth in his chest grow.

"Smells good," he hummed, taking Lance's outstretched hand. "Warm enough?"

"You bet," Lance grinned, stepping into the tub and letting Keith follow suit. He laid against his chest, feeling the softness of his skin against his back and relaxing with a happy sigh. Lance's fingers brushed out the tangles of his raven hair while his nose nuzzled the top of his head. "Comfy?"

"Mhm," Keith nodded, reaching for one of Lance's hands and clasping it.

He swallowed, feeling that lump in his throat appear again. He still couldn't believe it, even among the bubbles and the smell of citrus and ocean and  _Lance,_ it didn't feel real. In fact, he was so absorbed in the mindset that this possibly couldn't have happened, his eyes were watering all over again. He was incredibly lucky, but now he just thought he fell too hard.

"What's wrong?" Lance muttered, pressing a kiss to the shell of Keith's ear. "You're quiet, are you hurt?"

"No," Keith smiled tiredly, rubbing the pad of his thumb against Lance's knuckles. "'M'just— Overwhelmed, I guess. Haven't felt anything like this. 'S'scary."

"I see," Lance nodded. "C'mere, lie against my chest a sec."

Keith turned around and snaked himself between Lance's legs, before nestling his nose into the comforting crook of his neck. He found the spot he applied cologne to and took a deep breath, smiling at the way Lance's painted-blue kitty whiskers still glowed upon his cheeks. Lance's hands drifted over Keith's back, kneading the heel of his palms into his most tense spots, before riddling his fingers over his sides. Keith couldn't help but squirm and laugh at that.

"Do you feel like we've moved too fast?" Lance asked in nothing more than a whisper. Keith glanced upwards, noticing how the warm, golden candlelight accentuated Lance's sharp cheekbones and jawline, giving his stomach butterflies.

"No," Keith replied, his voice quaking and threatening to give. "It's just— I-I haven't done that and I'm new to this feeling so it feels like my body is trying to do too many things at once and—"

"Hey, hey," Lance's brow furrowed, cupping Keith's cheeks and wiping the tears that fall. "Shh... you don't have to worry about this feeling, okay? It's just your body releasing happy chemicals because we've been close for a long time. It's not a negative feeling. You're safe, Keith."

Keith nodded, wrapping his arms around Lance's waist and pressing a kiss to a scarlet hickey he'd left there just minutes ago. With a few deep breaths, he let himself relax as Lance made shapes out of bubbles and put them on his head like silly hats. Keith snickered, blowing the next handful of bubbles in Lance's palm and watching them land in his mahogany locks like snow.

"Don't ruin my hats," he murmured, scooping up more bubbles. "'M'gonna give you a beard as punishment now."

Keith only laughed and pawed at Lance's chest in response. "I'll sneeze! It tickles my skin."

"Good!" 

While the bathroom was littered in bubbles and the water spilled onto the floor due to their playfulness, Keith noticed a shadow move in, and soon they were looking over to a lonely-looking Caspian sat patiently on the floor. Keith wasn't sure if a cat could even  _look_ offended, but there he was, almost grimacing at the couple.

"Sorry, Caspie," Lance giggled, reaching out to the cat with a wet hand. "I'm having quality bonding time with a human, you can get all the attention later."

Keith laughed, but it wasn't long before Caspian was hopping onto the side of the tub and using Lance's arm to balance himself. This was supposed to be for Keith to calm down, but now he was hoping the cat wouldn't  _jump in_.

"You're a responsible cat dad," Keith smirked, trying to avert Caspian's path. "No, no— Caspie, stay there—!"

"I am a responsible cat dad! We're both responsible cat dads and we have to make sure this situation runs smoothly," Lance replied. Caspian's paws were beginning to pad away from the side of the tub, and he looked down to judge his landing. "There we go, we just have to—"

And with an accidental nudge of his elbow, Caspian lost his balance and slipped backwards into the tub, leaving them both yelping in surprise and shock as they tried rescuing the cat from its watery doom.

With multiple attempts, Keith eventually lifted Caspian out of the bath. He and Lance suffered scratches as a result, as well as a shortened bath time, but it was all worth it when Keith towel and blow-dried the cat back to his fluffy state.

"You idiot," Keith smirked, running a brush through Caspian's fur and ignoring his mewls of disagreement. "Well, maybe you shouldn't have ruined our bonding time."

"Don't blame the cat," Lance laughed, sitting behind Keith and ruffling  _his_ hair dry. "It's our face paint, he couldn't resist."

"He couldn't resist the bubbles you were blowing everywhere," Keith snorted. "Could you, Caspie? Is your dad just being a big grumpypants?"

Lance huffed a laugh and nestled his nose into Keith's shoulder. "You're the grumpypants, Mister."

After feeding Caspian and finally crawling into bed, Keith shuffled closer to curl up in Lance's embrace, letting out a content hum. He'd calmed down, he'd felt everything to do with happiness and it was still rushing through his veins and making his heart flutter. The cat was asleep upon his feet, his legs were tangled with Lance's, he smelled like lavender oil and citrus; the soft skin of Lance's neck was truly the cherry on top, as well as the kiss upon his forehead placed there seconds later.

"I've never seen you so happy," Lance hummed, his curious, tired blue eyes gazing down at Keith. "Do you feel like that hot chocolate brownie now? All warm and gooey in the middle?"

Keith snorted, rolling his eyes and closing them with a smile. "'M'a chocolate fudge brownie, even more gooey."

He couldn't believe it came out of his mouth, but Lance laughed anyway. "That's good, bet you're tasty."

"Mhm." Keith nodded, so tired he can barely listen any more. "Get me while I'm hot."

"You're ridiculous," Lance snorted, pulling Keith in closer. "Love you."

"M'love you too."

Just before he fell asleep, he let Lance press a tender kiss to his lips.

* * *

"Shh, you gotta be quiet," Keith pressed a finger to his lips as he glanced over to Caspian, who held a bird toy in his mouth. "We're gonna surprise attack him."

He smiled over to his sleeping boyfriend, curled up and holding Keith's pillow. If it weren't for his handsomeness, Keith would've woken him up purely for drooling on it. Caspian woke him up with mewls this morning, and since Keith woke up early anyway, he fed him, let him roam around, and planned a little good morning surprise.

If it all went well, he was going to get his lazy boyfriend out of bed.

"Go on," Keith whispered, gesturing to Lance's arm. "You can do it."

Caspian walked over to Lance, pawing at his shoulder and his nose. The impact had him stirring slightly, but it wasn't enough just yet. The toy was dropped in front of Lance's face, and then the mewls came, high-pitched and sweet; Keith felt proud for accumulating such a good scenario. He just had to wait for Lance to wake up before he could pounce.

"Mmnh, Caspie..." Lance murmured. "'m'tired—  _mmph!"_

Plan successful, Keith thought, as he collapsed on top of Lance and pried his arms away from the pillow to wrap around his waist instead. Lance yawned, looking up at Keith with a tired grin.

"Are you and the cat plotting against me now?" he asked, earning a nod from Keith. "Aw, man..."

"You stay in bed for  _hours_ and Caspian was hungry," Keith explained. "And—"

"You only woke me up because you wanted cuddles and now you tell me that  _I_ stay in bed for hours?"

Keith's cheeks flushed. "Maybe I did! But—"

"Mhm, case closed," Lance grinned. "You're gonna turn in your application form today."

Keith nodded. Finally, he was going to have a reliable source of income, and treat Lance to anything he wanted in return. He still felt guilty after Lance spent so much money on him. He couldn't wait, and now he could tell Shiro and everyone else how much better he felt. Besides, the aquarium looked like a fun place to work at, and if Lance enjoyed it, Keith knew he could enjoy it too.

"But breakfast first," Lance hummed, giving Keith's backside a firm squeeze. "I'm gonna have  _this._ "

"Lance!" Keith snorted. "C'mon, lets go get pancakes."

"No fun!"

Even when Keith got up and crawled to the edge of the bed to find some briefs, he felt teeth sink into his thigh and nibble at his butt, making him squeak and turn around in surprise. He almost threw his underwear at Lance in defeat.

"Behave," he smirked. "Go make pancakes."

Lance cocked a brow, eyes roaming Keith's body from head to toe. He folded his arms and chuckled darkly, before scooping Keith up and carrying him to the kitchen.

"Y'see, sweets," he began, "I think you're forgetting about last night's bowling."

"What about last night's bowling?" Keith asked, kicking his legs in the air, watching Caspian follow them. "I won."

"Well," Lance huffed. "Let's just say I won. This is your forfeit. What pancakes do you want?"

Keith snorted, and was put down promptly. He rummaged through his cupboards, reading all of the labels Lance had stuck on everything. After collecting the ingredients and finding a bag of chocolate chips, he passed them over to Lance, and sat down at the table. The radio was turned on, and within seconds, Keith was watching Lance dance to the music as he cooked, even singing and humming along, which made him smile.

"I hope your pancakes are as tasteful as your dance moves," Keith hummed. Lance scoffed.

"Keith, my baby," Lance grinned, picking up the pan and flipping the pancake within it. "I assure you, my pancakes will be as tasty, if not even  _tastier_ than my dance moves."

Before Keith could retaliate, there was a stack placed right in front of him, drizzled with a generous serving of syrup. He'd already told Lance that his cooking was spectacular, but now his little comment seemed weak compared to how strong Lance's effort was. He sat down opposite Keith, licking syrup from his fingers. With a little smirk, Keith popped a forkful of pancake into his mouth, wondering where the hell Lance got his skills from.

"Good?" Lance grinned, ruffling Keith's hair before taking a bite himself.

Keith nodded, licking his lips. He was so unprepared for the gesture. Now his cheeks were fuchsia.

"Thought so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the slow updates, i've been really busy and stressed <3


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything's looking up.

The application form had been filled out and turned in. After Lance's help, Keith found the process a lot easier, and after remembering the application process from when he was younger, he was slowly easing into it again.

He was a little more confident and content now. Definitely a lot happier, too. He knew Lance had been at his side all this time but he'd done so much on his own, he couldn't help but feel slightly more proud of himself. Even Shiro was proud, and that made Keith happy.

When he was accepted for the job, and he went in for his first day, he had to trial for a variety of places to see where he fit best. Throughout the day, he was occupied by a pond of stingray, the one Lance had introduced him to not so long ago, and the view from there was probably the best he'd ever experienced. Not only could he see the ocean from his window, but Lance was across and a little to the left from him, putting on a show by feeding the sharks.

Keith missed that, though. He missed putting all of his trust in Lance and having fun while doing so. Lance had a close bond with those sharks and Keith could tell by the way he spoke to them, handled them, even petted them on the nose—so he was moved there, and helped his boyfriend in making the best shark exhibit the audience had ever seen while caring for the marine life within it.

He started earning more, feeling the buzz of happiness in his body watching the numbers in his bank account rise. He took Lance shopping on multiple occasions, bought him lunch in quaint cafes, rented bikes to cycle along the promenade; anything to surprise Lance and keep him guessing in a good way. That, and Keith wanted to take photos of each smile Lance gave once Keith told him his plans for the day, and what they were getting up to together. The increase in money also allowed Keith to purchase the biggest shark in the aquarium gift shop, ultimately completing Lance's collection.

He caught glimpses of his ex-boyfriend now and then in public, either too far away to care or too close for comfort. Keith remained weary after times like that and often had to return to Lance's apartment and cuddle with the cat for a while, but nothing was making him scared or feel unsafe. Lance always held his hand in public anyway, which was very comforting. Not only that, but it was a reminder that Lance was always going to be by his side regardless, and having that warm, fuzzy feeling making home in his heart only encouraged him to be more courageous. 

Sure, Lance wasn't going to make it all go away, and Keith was always going to have those awful memories in his head, but he was healing, and replacing those bad thoughts with much, much happier ones. He had good days and bad days, and he was grateful for Lance for being so patient with him on every single one.

Regarding intimacy, Keith knew he was getting better at it.

He'd give Lance's butt a small pat before he left for work, or let him pull him into deep kisses when they first woke up. The traffic light system was still important all the way through, no matter what they were doing. Keith enjoyed the lazy make-out sessions the most, and adored it when he could fall apart in Lance's arms just from rolling their hips together. He ruined his underwear and always had to shower afterwards, but it was so worth it.

The only times they had to stop was when Caspian walked in and crawled onto the bed, curiously pawing at whatever he could sink his claws into, and unfortunately on many occasions, it was usually Keith's bare thigh. It didn't ruin the mood, but Lance was more concerned about Keith's pain and whether or not he needed a band-aid.

After that, Keith realised that the cat just wanted attention at the wrong times. Thus, after subtle hinting, Keith finally made Lance give in to adopt another kitten.

From the warmth of their bed, Keith nudged Lance's shoulder to wake him up, already excited to visit all the kittens that needed new homes.

"Lance..." Keith hummed, tracing small patterns upon Lance's chest. "Lance, c'mon, it's kitty day."

After a couple of seconds, Lance opened a weary eye and stretched his arms above his head, leaving Keith to take advantage and straddle his waist.

"Mmh, hello," Lance smirked, slumping his hands onto Keith's thighs. "Would you prefer Caspian to have a brother or a sister?"

"I don't mind," Keith replied. A shuffle emanated from behind and he turned his head to see the cat beside him, curiously pawing closer, and settling in the crook of Lance's neck. "What would you like, Caspie?"

Purring, Caspian didn't bat an eye, but Keith knew he'd be happy to have another cat in the house. After feeling Lance give his ass a lazy squeeze, Keith leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss, chuckling softly.

"C'mon," Keith whined. "Let's go..."

"You know we're now gonna have two cats crawling in when we fuck, right?" Lance snorted, earning a nod from Keith. "I guess they'll be occupied with each other, and they'll scratch at the door if we  _do_ close it, so..."

"It'll be fine," Keith said, carding his fingers through Lance's tousled hair and fluffing it up even more. "Fluff baby."

Lance gave Keith a wicked grin, and pounced on him, ruffling his raven hair and giggling when it looked more of a disaster than his.

"Hey!" Keith laughed. "Lance! You fucker!"

"C'mon! It's cat time!"

On the journey there, Keith was practically bouncing in his seat. Names reeled through his head, wanting to call it something special. By the time they reached the shelter, Keith watched the new owners of a small puppy walk away with it in their arms, feeling his heart melt into a sappy puddle.

"Are these guys good?" Keith asked, nodding towards the shelter. Lance nodded.

"They take care of their animals really well, Caspian was from here," he explained, stopping the car on the gravel driveway and parking up. "They do all kinds of animals, and it just hurts me that I can't adopt them all."

Keith laughed, smiling fondly at him. Of course he would if he could.

When they walked inside the shelter, Lance was greeted by the receptionist while Keith strolled on through, listening to the soft mewls that came from each cage. The dogs were on the other side of the building, barking away, and he was slightly relieved that he didn't have to have something as loud as that in the apartment. He looked through the shelter, peering into each cage to greet the cats.

"Found one yet?" Lance said, seemingly out of nowhere as Keith jumped out of his skin. "Sorry, buddy."

"No," Keith hummed, but soon, his eyes laid upon a black and white kitten, its eyes wide and blue.

He knelt down and read the description next to it, while the kitten walked closer, inspecting Keith curiously.

"Oh, Lance," Keith pouted, leaning his head against the glass and looking at the kitten. "He was abandoned along with his litter, and he's the only one left..."

"He's sweet," Lance smiled. "Want me to get someone?"

Keith nodded. Within minutes he was cradling the kitten in his arms, gently petting his soft fur and rubbing his little ears, all while smiling so hard his cheeks hurt.

"Dumped on the side of the street," a man explained. "The owner of the mother couldn't handle the litter and we found them in a cardboard box just months ago."

Lance glanced over to Keith, who cuddled the kitten protectively. "Do you want to adopt him?" he asked.

Keith smiled his widest and nodded, not even caring about the kittens' tiny claws digging into his shoulder. "Please!"

The adoption papers were signed, and Lance ensured that the kitten had everything it needed before they took it home. Keith had him on his lap, letting him explore in the comfort of a blanket. 

"What're you gonna name him?" Lance asked, smiling at the kitten as it looked at him. "He's so cute..."

"I'm not sure yet," Keith replied.

They visited a few pet stores on the way to make sure they had food and toys. Keith refused to let the kitten out of his sight, and after talking to many other pet owners about his new little addition, hours had flown by, and all he wanted to do was take the kitten to meet Caspian and finally relax.

By the time they got home, and Lance made sure they had kitten-proofed the apartment, Keith brought the kitten into the living room and sat down on the plush carpet, letting him roam around.

"Wait, where's Caspian..." Lance giggled. He then emerged with the grey cat and placed him on the floor, allowing him to get to know his new friend. "Hey, look, you got a new brother!"

Keith let Lance sit down next to him as he took pictures and sent them to Shiro, Pidge and Matt; Lance sent a picture of them both to Hunk, who seemed incredibly fond of their new addition. Shiro was happy, and the Holt siblings were more than ecstatic, already wanting to schedule a date to meet him.

"He's the tiniest little thing," Lance cooed, petting the kitten with his fingers. "Hey, little guy..."

Keith was still thinking of names. He tried going through every single significant point in his life to try and find a name that meant something to him, until finally, he thought of one, and hoped Lance liked it as much as he did.

"Can we call him Charlie?" Keith murmured, leaning his head against Lance's shoulder.

"Charlie?" Lance giggled, watching Caspian gently play around with the new kitten. "Sure thing."

After an overwhelming day of adopting Charlie and shopping for him, neither of them wanted to fuss about cooking and decided to order instead. They ate in the comfort of the living room just to keep an eye on the cats, as well as watch a movie. Keith curled up to Lance's side and glanced out of the window at the warm sunset painting the ocean gold, smiling tiredly.

"You make me really happy," he murmured, squeezing Lance's hand. "Thank you for everything."

Lance wrapped an arm around Keith and pulled him in closer, nuzzling his nose into his hair and inhaling deeply, catching the soft scent of his coconut shampoo.

"You don't need to thank me," he smiled, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I'm really glad, sweetheart."

The next day at the aquarium was more fun-filled than ever and Keith was more than happy to partake in almost everything, from letting his confidence grow during guided tours or helping Lance's friend Hunk with the octopus; he hadn't felt this carefree in a long time, and he let that happy feeling remain until it finally burst into euphoria by the time it was Lance's turn to feed the sharks—which was definitely Keith's favourite.

He approached the catwalk with his boyfriend and peered into the waters below, smiling fondly at the sharks that swam up to him and feeling his heart sing at the sound of Lance's laughter. The crowd encouraged both of them, gasping in awe at anything that surprised them, from Keith reaching his hand in and petting one on the nose, to Lance telling them everything about the species.

When the feeding time ended, the boys remained on the catwalk, watching the sharks swim calmly beneath them. Lance removed a latex blue glove and offered Keith his hand, who held it tightly in return.

"I'm so proud of you," he smiled. "The crowd loves you."

"The crowd loves the sharks," Keith chuckled, feeling his cheeks flare. He wrapped his arms around Lance and squeezed him. "Thank you so much, Lance."

"You big softie." Lance smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all so so much for reading! i'm sorry to end it here, i had no idea where to go with the rest of it and i hope it's okay;;
> 
> thank you for all of your lovely comments and i'm so glad i could write something nice and meaningful and make people happy, it's made me feel all fuzzy inside <33
> 
> thank you guys so much again! <3
> 
> catch me on tumblr // doubtfulbones


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